The Locket
by Agent Pumpkin
Summary: A seemingly innocent family heirloom turns out to be so much more when Iris figures out the horrifyingly, difficult-to-understand truth... Wishfulshipping! Rated for romance and child abuse. Chapter 19 up! :D Please read! Like it? Hate it? Just rate it!
1. So much for making it easier

**Hey guys. It's me again, Jesspikapal, and I am going to be attempting a CHAPTER Wishfulshipping story. Yes, that's right; a chapter story!**

**Hopefully I can pull this off!**

**Note: This story is quite dark/mysterious. Read at your own risk.**

**I have it all planned out and let me just say that if I write it out properly, then it should be pretty epic! :)**

**Anyways, "Enjoy". If you could call it that... :)**

_The only way to incinerate those thoughts of loneliness is to run. Run far away and never look back. Even if the winds of change call your name. Only look forward..._

Running away seemed to be the hardest thing that Iris could think of. The blistering rain pelted mercilessly on her head, as she forced herself onwards through the darkened night. There were no clouds. No breeze. No stars. No people. No _anything_. Empty, just like the gaping hole in her heart as she pressed forwards.

Iris clutched the locket to her chest, the cold metal brushing her wet skin soothingly. It had convinced her to leave. It had called to her and brought her here. Now, with nothing, she could see just how alone she really was. Without the screaming of her parents, she heard nothing. Without the thumps of them fighting, she saw nothing and without them turning on her and taking turns to lash her, she _felt _nothing.

Just emptiness.

Emptiness like a huge, black hole. The kind of dark hole that was too black to even begin to imagine what could be lurking within it's depths and Iris' mind was just that.

Dark and neglected.

Her feet slowed to a walk, her body too exhausted to run anymore. She should have gained some distance by now.

The path spilt off into two ways and Iris felt herself stop and peer at the sign post that told her where each pathway lead. After carefully analyzing the informitive post, she now knew that route 21 rested to her left, and Striaton City loomed to her right. Which way she should go, she didn't know, but her Axew, who had been hiding throughout her thick purple mane, pointed eagerly at the right path.

"I don't know Axew..." Iris trailed, uncertainty brimming in her tone. "What if it's not safe?" But right after she said that, she mentally kicked herself. No where, was safe.

"Axew, Ax, Axew!" Axew waved his arms frantically, pointing vigourously at the right path with his clawed paws.

"Ok." Iris gave in, a weak smile on her face as she gave into her Axew. _"What have I got to lose anyway?" _She thought to herself. She grimaced as she felt the headache start again. She had had to cope with this excrutiating pain for six hours and it was starting to get both troublesome and tiresome.

Sighing, she urged herself down the right path, her mind wittering yet another pointless pep talk. As if it would help.

The violent smashes of the rain grew larger, as the steel- like drops thundered down onto her head and her clothes, drenching her completley and making her shiver uncontrolably. She hugged her Axew close to her and edged down the unfamiliar pathway.

A flock of Woobat flew out of the trees abruptivley and startled her, her grip increasing on her dragon type comapnion as she squeaked in suprise. Axew writhed, desperate for air and to escape the harsh clutches of his frightened trainer, shouting it's name in protest.

Iris, realising her mistake, placed Axew on her shoulders and mumbled an embarrassed apology but to be perfectly honest, she was past caring. Nothing seemed to matter anymore as she marched forwards, unsure of where she was going in the first place. Well, she knew she was going to "Striaton City" , but where was that? She'd certainly never heard of it. Although she hadn't really heard of anything because of her parents inceasent niggling. That was all she got to hear.

After about ten minutes of obnoxious pokemon and endless pondering, she reached yet another sign post. This one, incidentally read:

"Welcome to Striaton City!"

She bowed her head, heeding the welcoming seen as though it would be the only one she would probably receive. Then, with a deep breath, Iris took a single step into the city and breathed again. She felt an exhilerating dose of energy course through her veins. _She could do this..._

Axew disappeared into the thick masses of her hair and she fingered the locket around her neck, smiling fondly at the inanimate object.

Walking calmly at her own pace - something she hadn't done in a while and something, until now, she hadn't seen herself doing in a very long time, she found her way throughout the city. The drops began to slow to an annoying drizzle and she spotted a upset-looking child taking shelter in a shop as he peered through the window at her, smiling sadly and placing his boney fingers on the glass, the condensation creating an eerie mist around his hand.

Iris summoned the courage to smile at him and did so, giving him a small, timid wave to accompany her friendly gesture.

The strange boy tore away from the glass, looking shocked and weary as he backed away and ran around a clothes rack and out of sight. Hidden. He was hiding. Iris envied him guiltily. She knew that she shouldn't stoop to such childish levels and let jealousy settle in, but the fact that he hid so easily made her blood boil slightly. Here she was, running away and risking everything, and then he vanishes behind a clothes rack, with no effort whatsoever? Iris narrowed her eyes and contiued to walk, wishing it was that easy.

Her gaze focused on the path as she endured the minute spitting of the rain and the small but chilling air of the seemingly friendly city. Wrapping her arms around herself, Iris eyed a bench, wondering if she should sit. She walked over to the green bench and felt the cold, wet metal tickle her finger, much like the locket that hung limply around her neck.

Doubting she could get much wetter, she perched herself on the edge of the seat and sighed, loudly and purposfully. Axew peeped his head out of her wild hair and swallowed his surroundings, the otherwise known as "useless" details speaking volumes about Striaton's history, unknowingly providing the runaway with answers to questions that rippled on her mind's stream of thought.

The shops organised tidily, side by side, embracing each other invitingly. The small houses accompanied by the large ones, the small ones obviously feeling indifferent about the larger ones as they happily sat next to one another, bricks touching in the same loving fashion. The lamposts were arranged neatly along the road, a gentle light lolloping lazily on the paving stones and bright, colourful posters and flyers hung from the cylindrical perimiter of the long posts.

"Axew, Axe." Axew gasped in awe.

"Isn't it beautiful Axew?" Iris cooed to her pokemon, stroking his head tenderly as she too glanced around her enviroment, amazed and curious.

"Axew..." Axew trailed, jumping onto his trainer's knee with a large, goofy smile imprinted on his face. Iris laughed along with him, both of them eventually just a useless heap of giggles. Just meeting eyes caused them both to explode into unexplainable fits of laughter all over again!

Eventually, when the two calmed down, they came face to face with queer looks. Each one judging her nastily as they glared down at her past their noses. Iris shifted uncomfortably and the people passed, tutting at her as they went. Iris and Axew both stuck their tounges out at them as they walked by and then chuckled to each other, Iris shocked at her own childish antics.

"Well," She started, standing and picking up Axew softly. "We're not getting any further away by pulling childish faces and sitting on fancy green benches, are we?" She joked fondly , though the question didn't need an answer for Iris already knew it. She lovingly rubbed her loyal friend's snout and then began to walk once again.

She passed a bakery and the faint scent of bread caught her attention as she turned to face the shop's large, steamy window, all the delicacies taunting her from the inside of the scorching bakery.

Staring at the food, she shamelessly felt her mouth water. She hadn't eaten in awhile. She would have to find some berries soon, she thought lifelessly to herself.

She sighed and began to leave, but the person behind the counter shooed her away before she turned away completely. Once again, she was being banished. She was unwanted, but that, to her, was no suprise. She shuffled forwards, hung her head and thought deeply. Why was life so difficult? Why were these people so unfriendly? Maybe it was her choice in pokemon? No, no person could be quite _that _shallow... Could they? No... Well, maybe it was her colour? No, she'd seen a familiar coloured man stride by her earlier, not to mention the person behind the counter in the bakery was a dark shade of brown too. Nothing about her persona seemed too much out of the ordinary. Maybe these people were just naturally a bit of a pest.

After coming to no other possible conclusions in her mind, she settled with the fact that these people were simply arogant to another way of life other than their prim and proper ones that they had in this city. With a knowing smile, she nodded to herself and wandered alongside the road.

Ah, the beauty in not knowing where you're going.

Suddenly, her curiosity spoke to her. Well, more like _screamed _out to her in a desperate attempt to be fed with something questionable. There, directly across from her, sat a large building. Somehow, it seemed different from the other houses and facilities. Her and Axew glanced at each other, shrugged, and then turned back to face the amazingly structural building. It looked like a mansion of some kind.

Not wanting to disturb the owners of this huge castle - like home, Iris started to leave, but stopped when she felt a tug on her hair done by Axew.

"Huh? What's wrong Axew?" She enquired, blinking down at the little pokemon sat on her shoulder. The dragon type pokemon shook it's head, jumped down from his perch and waddled over to the huge double doors, scraping them lightly with his clawed hand.

"Axew!" Iris hissed. "You can't do that! Someone lives there! You - You'll attract attention. We need to get through this place without anyone seeing us if we're going to make this easier for ourselves!"

Axew, incapable of speech, just delivered her a flat look and once again scraped the door with his tiny claws.

The dark-skinned female stared at her companion and then, with a feverish glare to her left and then to her right, she crossed the path to where Axew was standing and folded her arms across her chest, giving him a flat look of her own.

"What?"

Without warning, the small pokemon shoved into the doors and they opened with a creak. Despite her worried nature, Iris couldn't resist peeking through and immediately gawked when she saw what was hidden behind the deceiving doors.

People chattering loudly and laughing amongst themselves. It was almost real. Like what life was supposed to be like. But Iris somehow felt distanced and excluded for some inexplicable reason that she couldn't quite place. The atmosphere was friendly and seemed out of place compared to the other people's sour behaviour. So this was what life was _really _like in Striaton? Or was it the opposite? Iris stared, wide eyed and open mouthed at the scene before her in complete and utter happiness, before some iritating giggling obnoxiously triggered her headache and caused her to look upwards. The locket seemed to bounce off of her neck with energetic vibes as the headache continued.

_"You'll never fit in! You don't belong anywhere! With anyone. You're - You're a waste!"_

Wasn't that the scene from her nightmare earlier that morning? She hadn't thought much of it, but now she found it strange that it would pop up in the middle of her banging headache. Likewise, it probably wasn't important, and the female shrugged it off, grimacing as her head gave one final throb and then ceased to ache.

Strange...

"Um, excuse me?" A seemingly worried tone questioned. Oh God,Iris had no idea someone was speaking to her! Axew looked up at the tall figure and retreated readily into Iris' purple bangs.

Iris straightened her gaze and then lifted her head to make eye contact with the person in question, only to see the redest eyes she had ever seen. They were as vibrant as rubies yet as calm and collected as a candles flickering flame. She took a weary step back and took in the sight of him. Red hair matching his eye's, his body clad in an elegant waitors outfit. In his hand, he held a glass of water.

"Yes?" Iris breathed politely. "Sorry. I was kind of out of it for a second." She explained sheepishly.

"Ah, I could see that." The voice replied, and Iris would've hidden her face if he didn't sound so kind hearted.

"Uh, heh, you couldn't do me a favour and tell me where I am, could you?" Iris mumbled, a light streak of pink appearing on her face. Her Axew sniggered from the safety of her violet hair. She could feel the shudder atop her head and spared a glare at her own tresses that fell down her back in an unorganised fashion.

"You're in Striaton Gym." The waitor answered kindly, an inviting smile settling on his face. A Pansear suddenly appeared on his shoulder, it's tail clutching a tray skilfully.

"Oh, thank you Pansear. Here," He smiled, carefully handing the glass over to the petite fire monkey who accepted with nothing more than an expectant look on it's face.

"Take this to table nine please." The young adult beamed, stroking his Pansear firmly on his head with his now free hand. Pansear lapped up the attention and then cautiously made his way down the red head's body and then started edging himself towards "table nine" with drink in hand.

"Uh, nice Pansear." Iris commented, not sure of what to say.

"Thank you! He helps out alot around the gym. I'd be lost if it wasn't for him!" He laughed heartily, before he regained his posture and then smacked his forehead lightly.

"Oh, where are my manners?" He scolded himself. "I'm Chili. Pleasure to meet and serve you..." He greeted gleefully, stopping when in search of a name, gesturing with his fingers lightly. He stretched out his hand, beckoning her with his fingers to take it and shake when he saw the slightly apprehensive expression on her face.

"Iris." She half-heartedly replied, forcing a smile onto her face. She was completely flattered by this gentleman, but the last thing she wanted to be doing was "making friends".

"Axew!" Axew protested from her shoulder. (Iris didn't notice him move because she was too busy talking to Chili!)

"Oh, and this is Axew!" She happily grinned, holding up her pokemon to show Chili.

"Ah, I see. He's very nice." He complimented with a smile. "I'll show you to a table and get one of my brothers to take your order in just a second."

Iris didn't have time to protest when she felt his hand lock around her wrist and pull her gently towards a table in the corner.

"Oh no, you don't understand. I don't have any m-" Iris started, but was interupted by another fit of flirtatious giggles. The pair turned to speculate the scene before them and Iris saw a blue haired waiter emerge from the crowd of gurgling girls.

Presuming that he was Chili's brother who had just been mentioned, she turned to him and asked:

"Who's he?"

The red-eyed waiter glanced down at her before looking back up and smiling fondly.

"He's my brother, Cress."

"Oh, cool. So, you're both waiters in the same resteraunt? That's pretty good." Iris said, a genuine smile spreading radiantly across her face. Then remembering that Chili had said that he had "brother_s"_, she looked around for another similarly dressed boy, with strange hair.

"Something catch your interest?" Chili cluelessly asked.

"If you don't mind me asking, who's your other brother?" Iris voiced her thought timidly. Axew turned to face the waiter aswell, curious about what he was going to reply with.

"I said I had another brother?"

"Well, I just thought you said brother_s_, so I thought..." Iris began, but was cut off by a chuckle.

"I'm just teasing you." Chili grinned wickedly. "His name's Cilan. Come now. Lets get you sat down."

Iris complied meekly, far past trying to tell him that she didn't have any money. When they reached her table, Chili pulled out a chair for her and she smiled weakly and accepted it, sitting down and nervously fiddling with the edge of the table cloth.

"Thanks." She mumbled, her Axew curled in a heap on the floor beside her regal chair.

"I'll just go and get my brother." He leaned in and mischeviously whispered, "Which one do you fancy?"

However, Iris was all well and ready for that enquirey. Well, not those exact words, but she knew who she wanted to see if he poised the question.

"Cilan. I have yet to see him." She calmly responded, her individuality sparking through her determined eyes.

"Very well. I'll go and get him. In the meantime, just wait here..." Chili grinned once more, before departing from her table with a cunning wave thrown over his shoulder.

Iris took a minute to take in her surroundings. The people, now that she took a proper look, were mainly girls. And they probably weren't even here for the food, but for the waiters themselves. Her damp shoes felt royally padded on the soft, lucious carpet and the tables were all clean and tidy, a table cloth draped over each one. A knife, fork and spoon sat in front of her, mirroring that of each table - Even the empty places- and artistic grooves in the table legs existed silently. She dragged her finger down them, feeling the unique patterns wind beneath her finger, before she got bored again and drummed her fingers on the table quietly to herself.

She idly picked up the spoon that was positioned in front of her and played with it restlessly. She grumbled to herself. She was losing so much time! She was out here to survive, not eat in fancy food resteraunts in which pretty-boys served meals to those who were fortunate enough to dine there! She gritted her teeth together in agony when she felt her head pound violently against her skull, her hands flying up to her temples as she massaged them gently.

"Hello there. Are you ready to order?" A propitious voice broke through her frivilous attempts to rid herself of the ongoing pain in her head.

She opened one eye, and then both as she took in the sight before her. Tall, green haired and smiling, stood Cilan, a notebook in his left hand while a pen danced inbetween the fingers on his right hand. Her waiter. She gulped to herself.

So much for making it easier...

**Are you maybe wondering what on earth you just read? Well, that's good. You're not supposed to understand it. Not quite yet... ;)**

**Umm, yeah, sorry about Chili's rubbish portrayal, but I don't really have much to go on regarding his character. He said, like, two lines in the entire anime, so forgive me if it's OOC. It was kind of hard to guess how he would act, but I got the impressiont hat he would be laid-back, polite and slightly mischevious. That's just what I think...**

**Anyways, chapter two will be up soon, and please, only inform me about major mistakes. :) Thanks so much!**

**~Jess~**


	2. Enforced company

**Hey guys! It's me again, Jesspikapal. So, my first chapter was a huge success so I thought of posting a second chapter right away! And by the way, everything will be explained towards the end of the story, but for now, sit and try to understand as much as you can... ;)**

**(This story is going to have 20 - 30 chapters!)**

**Jess**

_So much for making things easier..._

Iris just stared up at him, trying to think of something intelligent to say. Should she mutter stupidly to herself? Or should she collect herself and come across as bold and clever? When she asked herself that question, she realised the answer was fairly obvious.

"Not yet..." She mumbled, feeling extremely dumb and weak-willed for being forced into this by a stranger.

"Ah, I see. Well, when you're ready, give me a call." The waiter replied kindly, a genuine smile carved into his lips as he looked down at her.

"Will do." Iris chuckled nervously, her hands feeling fidgety without Axew to grip onto.

The green-haired fellow turned to leave her to her decision, when she suddenly thought of an idea. It wasn't much of a plot, but she felt a burning desire to talk to him. Why, she didn't know. Maybe it was to recover from her idiocy from just a couple of minutes back? Or maybe it was because she thought he looked mildly interesting. Both of these were fair possibilities.

"Wait a minute!" She called after him, forcing a smile onto her lips as she watched him spin around. Axew peered up at the tall boy and allowed a curious curl of the lip to settle on his face, the expression containing innocence and question.

"Yes?" He quizzed, twirling round to face her, his apron, which hung limply around his waist, fluttering as he did so. Iris bit back a giggle.

"Can you help me?" She asked seriously, her fingers linking together as to keep from fiddling with anything.

"Oh, but that's what I'm here for!" He beamed, striding back towards her table, looking honestly happy to be serving her. The thought made her mind reel slightly. Pretence was something she had always had to put up with, but this, this seemed so real; almost like it was impossible to feign such a gleeful tone and an open personsa. Iris mentally shook herself. Now was not the time to be getting caught up, she growled to herself, feeling briefly overwhelmed by such a want to believe this probable act.

_"On the inside, he's dying to float back to his flock of girls over by the window!" _Her mind screamed at her, making her wince as her head pounded angrily. She kept from throwing her hands over her head, but couldn't hold back a grimace, the pain too much to simply remain stoic.

"What do you recommend?" She breathed, feeling the pain slowly deteriorate.

"Forgive me, but you don't look so good. Would you like a glass of water?" The waiter enquired, a worried look glazed over his face, his bright, green eyes flickering with an emotion that Iris couldn't quite place.

"No." She growled, squeezing her eyes shut for a second. Her head spun roughly, triggering her forgotton manners. "Thank you." She added quickly.

"Axew, Axe?" Her small pokemon cooed quietly, rubbing her lower leg soothingly.

"I-I'm fine!" She exclaimed through gritted teeth. A few people looked up with inquisitive faces, but then soon turned around to gush over Chili and Cress, with not so much as a second thought as to why Iris was in so much pain. But, her mind regressed, how could she expect people to understand what she didn't? It wasn't like she had a firm grasp on why her headache was quite so horrifingly painful, after all.

With a gentle grip on her shoulder, the third brother brought his voice down to a respectful level and leaned in slightly. Ever so slightly.

"With all due respect, you don't look fine. Let me at least get you some water. No charge. You don't look well at all." He explained calmly, respecting her privacy all the while, as he kept his voice quiet and reserved for only her to hear. Now that she thought about it, even just a little bit, she could hear the compassion and care laced within his polite tone.

"Ok..." Iris replied meekly, her eyes still tightly screwed up.

Begining to leave, Cilan turned around and took a step towards his destination.

"And Cilan?"

He spun back to her, his eyes speaking for him as they twinkled brightly and his hands clasped behind his back, his back erect and his feet organised into a proffesional stance.

"Thank you. So much. You're really quite the gentleman." She smiled feebly, her Axew jumping onto her knee softly.

"And you're really quite the customer." He grinned, though his face still held that meaningful vibe. With a nod, he departed swiftly. She heard his footsteps grow distant as he made his way to the kitchen. Now could be her big chance!

But it didn't feel right to leave him stranded, concerned about her with a cup of water in his hand, no less.

Intiguing? He found her... Interesting? Iris reached up and grabbed her locket for support, her mind spinning with unanswered theories. Did he mean it? It certainly looked it, but then again, her parents from first glance, looked like ordinary parents. But hadn't there been some kind of care there? Hadn't he insisted so greatly regarding _her _health? He didn't get paid any extra for it, did he? Of course not! But, what if? Well, there was a strong chance that he was sincere.

Iris sighed, feeling a wave of self-assurance wash over her in a calming way.

"Here."

Iris blinked at the glass, wondering what it was doing at her table. Then, with a nudge from Axew, she remembered. It was for her -

Headache.

Peculiar. It wasn't here anymore.

Iris felt her forehead with her fingers, expecting a pain to appear from somewhere, but to her shock, nothing happened. In fact, she felt the opposite of what she had just previously portrayed. She felt confident in her thoughts and safe alongside her mind. Like nothing could touch her, even if it tried with all of it's might. Invincibility coursed through her veins and she has to resist the urge to fling herself around the room with energy. It was so abnormal, she decided. Only she could have these amazing health swings and go from feeling ill or run down, to perfectly healthy and active. It definitely was a strange set of circumstances and she noted that she didn't even know how it happened. It just seemed to click within her mindset.

A nudge in her stomach awoke her from her deep thought.

"Oh, thank you." She smiled sweetly, actually meaning it, although her headache had taken a turn for the better and completely evaporated.

"Axew! Axe!"

"Huh? What do you want Axew?"

"Axe, Axe, Axew!" The dragon type pointed to the menu, flailing his free arm in a childish manner.

Emitting a chuckle, Cilan said:

"Looks like your pokemon is craving something mild."

Iris, with a curious countenance, peeped down at the menu and read what he meant. There, in the midst of all the posh dishes and delicacies, was a small "kiddies" section. Iris watched in amusement as Axew jabbed his finger at the "dish" in which read "Spagheti - Made with fresh spagheti!"

Cute, Iris pondered to herself.

"Well, I would but -"

"Oh, it's no trouble! If your pokemon wants feeding, your pokemon will be fed." Cilan said in that caring voice of his, making Iris feel briefly uncomfortable.

_"He is so nice..."_

"Though that's the point." She trailed guiltily, about to carry on and tell him that she had no money, for the third time. In fact, this was getting rather annoying. Every time she tried to brush someone off, they would stick around like a cat that followed you all the way home. Iris surveyed the restauraunt, suddenly feeling very exposed. Like everybody was watching her, just waiting for that second when she messed up. Saying that, she was instantly shushed by Cilan's enthusiastic voice

"Nonsense! Here, everyone is equal!" Cilan exclaimed persistently, his arms high above his head as he spun around once in a rather flamboyant way.

"Right." Iris replied flatly, her eyes only half-lidded as she stared back at him, simply watching him ambiguously.

"Pansage!"

Iris jumped violently. Why she ought to -

"Thank you Pansage!"

"Huh?" Iris voiced, confused. She looked down at her Axew, and the pair shared questioning looks before slowly returning their gaze to the peciliar couple in front of them. Iris awoke from her thoughts to Axew dunking his head into something and splashing her rudely.

"Axew!" She scolded harsly, grabbing the flailing pokemon by his sides and hoisting him in the air, spectating his waving body and the little kicks that his legs produced. It could have been rather comical if Iris wasn't so mad!

"Sorry." She glanced up at Cilan, who was wearing a proud look on his face. "What's this?" She added, pointing to the bowl.

"The dish that your Axew wanted so badly." Cilan happily retorted, beaming down at the pair who were seated at the table. The pokemon was now just hanging there suspended in the air, waiting to be released.

"B-but..." Iris trailed, horror settling in her body. Damn it, they would never let a thief get away! How was she supposed to run now with the police and society hot on her trail? They'd track her down and take her back to her house, forever to beaten all over again - that was, if they let her live that long.

"I don't understand why you're so upset. Axew looks del-"

"Y-you don't understand!" Iris snapped, fingering the locket and standing up, pushing the chair to the floor, her hands and legs quaking violently.

_"Thought you could get away?"_

_"What a foolish child!"_

_You ought to be saying your prayers lady, because you're going to need them..._

She could see it now and that alone made her grab her Axew and hug him close, her shaking form crumpling to a heap on the floor. Kneeling down, she squeezed her eyes tightly to stop the tears from falling from the security of her eyelids and took in deep breaths, the fear begining to well up inside of her, like a harmless white lie, in which turned out to be the most traumatic choice you ever made in your life.

"I-I have to go." She forced out, her tone petrifyed and her Axew brushed his little paws against her cheek in an attempt to catch a few of the fallen tears.

"But you haven't pa-"

"I KNOW!" She shouted back at him. Cilan backed away from her, startled, his Pansage watching the scene unfold.

"That's what I was trying to tell you, but you didn't listen! No one ever listens! Y-you're all the same!" Iris screamed loudly, far past caring that everybody in the entire Gym was glaring at her for disturbing their pleasant dinner's. Though why they would dining here at nine o'clock at night was beyond her and she honestly didn't care. At all. Let them stare. She wasn't going to see any of them ever again anyway. She was going to get away, and she was going to get away whether the police tagged her and followed her everywhere with their guns and clubs alight, or not!

Without another word, she accelearted straight towards the soor, grabbed the handle and flung herself outside. She didn't even stop to think as she propelled herself at exasperating speeds in the first diection that her foot stepped in. She didn't care, as long as she could hide and forget, even if only for a short while.

She shrieked when she felt something hit the bottom of her shoe.

"Axew Axe!" Axew cried, once again pointing his stubby little claws to the floor. Iris dared a look downwards and watched green bullet-like balls of energy fly at her, aimed and precise. Re-focusing her eyes back on the road, she lurched obnoxiously to her left, hurtling down an allyway and out of the other side, across a road that had a large amount of trafic and through a mini park-like facility that had several flowers blooming and opening to greet the midnight fireflies.

_One foot, one foot, one stride, one stride... Forwards!_

That was all her mind was registering as she dodged through innocent Lillipup walkers and bug type students who were watching the nighttime Venonats, not stopping to apologize when she stood on an outstretched leg of a pokemon watcher. (A person that, unbelieveably, watches pokemon. Often for study or research.)

Tripping over a stone on the road, she flew face-first into the hard paving stone and scraped her knee's roughly against the hard stones, her head banging sickeningly against a nearby lampost.

"Axew...?" Her scared pokemon breathed, reaching a hand and gently stroking his trainers upper arm and checking for any major injuries. There looked like there would be a nasty bump on her head by the rate that that sore was already bulging repulsively.

"Axew?" He tried again, shaking her arm sternly and then panicking when se didn't respond.

Then, amidst the tender light of the lamposts, she opened her eye's and pulled her head up to look her pokemon in the eye.

"I'm ok." She smiled meekly, immediately recoiling from the pain in her knee's. Axew looked at her skeptically.

"Oh, come on! Don't give me that look. I'm just so sorry that I dragged you into this..." Iris whimpered uncharacteristically, looking down at her pokemon with meaningful eyes.

"Hey wait!"

Iris froze and tightly screwed her eyes shut. She knew exactly who it was and why he was here. When he got his hands on her, he was going to -

"You're hurt." A low voice said, a concerned element in his reserved tone escaped and wrapped itself around her, choking her with it's reality. His hands brushed against the bruised skin softly, his Pansage sitting worriedly on his shoulders with a bandage in it's chubby paws. Why it was carrying that, she'd never know.

"No ,I'm not. Iris snarled, yanking away from his careful hands and tried to stand up but to no avail, as she fell to a mess on the ground, wet from a puddle splattering all over her already wet clothing. She shook her bleeding hands dry, doing her best to ignore the piercing sting that was so ruthlessly attacking them with vigour and resent.

"Yes you are." Cilan's firm voice rang out clearly. She dared a glance up at him and saw his authoritive expression that didn't falter once. It was almost refreshing to see a different facial arrangement other than the happy-go-lucky, aloof look.

Not having any energy, she could only tense weakly as he dipped his hands into Pansage's foliage and plucked a single leaf from atop his faithful pokemon's head.

"This may sting a little." Cilan explained, his Pansage nodding in confirmation. And with that, the leaf was pressed to her raging sores. Axew growled at Cilan, the little pokemon only trying to defend his trainer, like every friend should do and what Axew always would do, because Axew, would forever remain her friend.

Iris gritted her teeth to stop from crying out and she did, suprisingly succeed. Refusing to show any remorse for any of her actions, she abruptively turned her head away and glared at the road.

"How does it feel?"

Iris' head snapped up as she glared at him. She knew what he was asking.

_How does it feel to be the one on the lower side of the world? To be on the floor. To have no one caring about you? Tell me. Say it to me..._

"It feels great." Iris sarcastically spat.

"Well, that's good. The leaf has done it's job. That's one thing out of the way. Now, where are you headed?" Iris looked up curiously at Cilan before staring back down at the harsh, cold tiles of the road. It was a miracle that no cars had gone down there!

"Why do you care?" Iris seethed defensively. She was through with being polite. She couldn't stand it! It was so demanding of her, just like evrything else in life. She could never be good enough and so she refused to try anymore.

"Because I'm going to accompany you."

. . .

**Chapter two completed! :D :D :D :D :D :D**

**Yes I know, uit was a crappy chapter, but I needed to get them together and for Cilan to "enforce his presence".**

**Yes, out of character things, I know! Don't moan about it, because it can only get better from here, I promise! :)**

**I thought that Iris would try to be polite, fail and then turn angry and defensive beause she's not used to someone feeling anything but hate and resent for her. That's why she seemed so angry at Cilan.**

**Cilan on the other hand, was hard to rite for this one. I pictured him, polite as ever. Then thief and he's like "OH- NOES!", and then he's all worried about her when he sees that Iris is hurt. Because he's a gentleman like that! XD**

**But seriously, I don't think that Cilanw ould let personal issues between another person get int he way of him assissting them when they were in need. That's why I made him slightly more "authoritive" in this chappie, well towards the ending anyways...**

**Anyways, depending on feedback, and whether people like it, I'll update soon. No review threats obviously - seriously, we have enough of OOC-ness on this chapter!- but a couple of reviews would be nice. After all, I worked my butt off on this chappie. So anyways, hope you enjoyed, and hopefully, you'll stick around to see what happens next! **

**~Jess~**


	3. Hospitality

**Hey guys. It's me again. Sorry I was a little slow at updating this time. I was meant to update on Saturday, but I went to my Grandma's so I am a little behind on my original plan on when to update it and stuff...**

**But not to worry! I'm still going to be updating regularly (We're talking "in the same week" regularly here, but that's still good, right?)**

**Anyways, on with the next chapter of "The locket."**

**DUN DUN DUN! :D**

**~Jess~ **

_"Because I'm going to accompany you..."_

"B-But you can't!" Iris protested weakly. She couldn't have him following her. He'd be a direct lead for the police; not to mention people would recognize him, being a waiter in a local gym/restauraunt and all. There'd be no hope for her to get away unseen and secretly!

"No. I can and I will. I don't want to leave a lady such as yourself alone in the dark. It's very dangerous on the streets at night here in Striaton." Cilan explained firmly, his Pansage throwing an unsure glance at his master as if his decision confused him, which it probably did. Why he wanted to follow someone who had technically stolen from him, Iris would never know.

Cilan quietly picked Pansage up from the floor and held him to his chest in a gentle grip. A grip that was strong enough to hold him, but was definitely not hazardous to the pokemon itself. Iris envied Pansage silently. Why couldn't she just have a hug like that once in a while? She wasn't the "mushy" type, but there was no one that could resist a good cuddle now and again! Iris certainly had no objections to it! In fact, she kind of craved it, in a wishful sort of way...

"So where are you going?" He asked, softer than before, as he met her gaze with a steady stare, his vibrant green eyes staring at her intensely, a slightly probing vibe mixed cleverly with his fixated stare.

What should she say? Axew peered up at her, apparently worried about the same issue, as the two shared troubled glances and then peeped at the pavement beneath them, watching a few stray autumn leaves rustle across the stoney ground. Then, with a brief look of apprehension, she swallowed thickly and through gritted teeth, said:

"To my parents house."

Axew's eyes practically bulged out of his head as he turned and gave Iris a disbelieveing look, his mouth strectehed into an open frown. Mimicking Cilan, she gracefully scooped Axew up and held him close. She felt his tail brush her neck and catch the latch of the locket, which tugged harshly. With a hiss of pain, Iris reached a grazed hand up, untangled Axew's tail and then pressed him to her stomach instead.

"Well, it shouldn't take long then. Now, which way?" Cilan quizzed, a smile poking up onto his lips.

"Well, you see, _she _lives in the next town." Iris lied once again, although the gritting of the teeth was no longer there. Now that Cilan had swallowed the first and most important lie, the others soon flowed out easily. She just moved her mouth and somehow, the correct words seemed to wind themselves into Cilan's mind, as he listened intently.

"Nacrene city is where we're going then." Cilan beamed, clapping his hands together and standing up. Then, he extended his arm to Iris, but she refused it and stood up on her own, brushing herself off with her dirty hands. Cilan frowned, but said nothing.

"Oh! But before I forget, lets get you cleaned up! We'll get you back to the gym so that we can get your leg and hands cleared up. You look like you took a major slip there." Cilan kindly offered, his Pansage closing it's eyes tightly as he tried to understand just where his trainer was coming from. What was he playing at?

"No. I-I won't let you take me back there." Iris stumbled about her speech, the words, unlike before, not stringing together. In fact, the immensity of the effort she had to use in order to form that simple sentence was one beyond her comprehension. It had been so easy just a second ago...

"There's no need to be defensive. I'll look after you. Vigour isn't your flavour after all. It leaves quite a bitter taste about you. In fact, it doesn't suit you at all." Cilan muttered, just loud enough for her to hear him.

"It has to!" Iris snapped at him, 'oblivious' to the situation she had just put herself in. Well, in all honesty, she had known from the second she said it that it would cause questions, but pretended not to for fear of what was inevitable. Of what was bound to come.

"What do you mean?" The waiter questioned, his brow furrowing in thought.

Refusing to speak, Iris marched past him, determined to shake him off of her case. Her Axew chidishly stuck his tounge out at him and then turned his head quickly to the left in a snobbish way, refusing to even achknowledge Cilan's existence at all. She just wanted him to pack it in and leave, because he was really starting to annoy her. His presence was invasive and had no sense of privacy. But didn't he prove he had a sense of respect back at the restauraunt?

_"With all due respect, you don't look fine. Let me at least get you some water. No charge. You don't look well at all..."_

Iris shook off the memory that had so rudely penetrated her train of thought. This isn't about respect. Or one's privacy. It was about survival. And she couldn't afford to spend any more time talking to this idiot!

When something grabbed her wrist tenderly, Iris froze but didn't turn around. She was too afraid to, but not because she was scared of the person, but more the rejection and the harsh reality of the words that were about to come out of his mouth. She just knew it. The same as everyone else did, was what he was going to do in that single second. He was going to take her snotty behaviour personally and then backfire it against her. Shoo her away like some annoying fly that was too nosey for it's own good, although it didn't apply to her in this case, because he was the one who had followed her. Iris braced herself.

"Look, I just think we should get you sorted. Your leg is starting to swell." The green haired boy worriedly voiced, his gaze retreating to her leg that was indeed, throbbing unhealthily. He fingered his apron around his waist and hesitated, eventually choosing to leave it there.

Glancing at her Axew, she debaited the situation with him silently. Then, too exhausted to fight anymore, she keeled over and submitted to his request, ashamed with herself for, once again, giving up. Seriously, she was going to have to learn how to be more assertive for the furture, because more stops like this and she wouldn't even be out of this city within this year!

"Fine..." She mumbled dejectedly.

"Great! Listen, are you sure you don't need any help? You seem quite unsteady there on your leg." Cilan considered, glancing down once again at her bulging leg. It retracted violently underneath the feeble layer of skin. This time, with a sure attitude, he took his apron off and began to construct some kind of sling with it, though it didn't look very effective. Even to him. And so, defeated, he wrapped it back around his waist and fell quiet, watching her twitch as she stared at him with a disbelieving gaze.

"What are you going to do? Carry me?" Iris sarcastically spat, glaring at him again, the action beginging to turn into a bit of a habit. She hated him with a burning passion, _because _he was so likable. Being a gentleman was a bonus to his already kind, funny and caring persona.

"Well, I would if y-" The young gentleman began, but was interupted by Iris.

"I'm not a baby. Geez, you're such a little kid." She groaned, throwing her head back as she rolled her eyes and then straightened her tunnel of sight straight ahead of her.

"Well then." Cilan said, finality dripping from his tone. "Lets get back."

Narrowing her eyes, Iris took large steps to purposfully create distance between the two. Jogging to keep up, Cilan arrived by her side again, throwing her inquisitive looks. But not one of his looks contained any sort of hate or apathy. In fact, most of them held a fair dose of compassion and worry. Even some dared to show a look of interest. They were of an intrigued nature, were a fair few of them.

"You know, seen as though we're going to be travelling together for a couple of days..."

Iris delivered him a skeptical glance from over her shoulder, her hair tossing wildly with the movement of the ferocious head jerk.

"Weeks," The waiter corrected himself in an embarrassed and defeated voice. Iris smirked to herself in triumph. Then it faltered as she realised what he had said. A couple of _weeks. _Of course, she had known this, but hearing him say it himself made it that much more unbearable. How was she going to put up with this? With _him! _He was outrageously padantic, she told herself and she felt her resent for him only strenghten.

"I think we should get to know each other better."

"I don't." Iris deadpanned, rather rudely if she was perfectly honest with herself. Cilan's Pansage growled at the infuriating female just ahead of him, but Cilan silenced him with a fond stroke behind the back of his ear, which the pokemon shamelessly gave in to with nothing more than a delighted yip and a lazy grin, in which sprawled across his mouth.

Ignoriong the blunt nature of the dark-skinned female just to the side of him, he stuck up another conversation, even though deep inside, he knew it was destined to fail.

"If you're not going to tell me your name, may I at least know how you know mine?"

"I met your brother." She replied, uninterested in the conversation. Axew jumped up and sat on top of her head, his stubby paws holding onto his small dragon-like feet as Iris walked onwards.

"Which one?" Cilan smiled, peeping at her from the corner of his eye.

_"She is really interesting. I have a feeling she's been slightly messed up. Confused. I'm quite sure she doesn't mean to be hostile. Or snappy. I can sense a troubled aroma about her. I wonder what she's doing out here on her own? And why she's that far away from her parents in the first place?" _Cilan wondered in the soltitude and comfort of his own mind.

"Chili." He heard her answer flatly.

"He's the cocky one." Cilan continued, swearing he saw a flicker of amusement in her dark brown eyes. "He's confident and the bully of us three." He chuckled on.

Iris emitted a deep sigh. All she wanted was peace. If only for a minute. Was that really too much to ask? Couldn't she just be a normal person for one second? Just to feel what it was like. To feel the grass underneath her feet. To feel the breeze tickle her face. But no, the feeling was mutual. Al of those simple things that had been mentioned, were simply part of the outside world. The world that Iris wasn't part of.

"Look, if I tell you my name, will you _please _just stop talking?" Iris pleaded with a tired countenance. Cilan looked at her, a kind of loyalty glimmering in his eyes that she had never seen before. Pansage smirked minutely.

"Of course. No wait. At least let us have a formal introduction." Cilan negotiated with a brief flash of cheek in his eyes before he continued to look at her with those piercing eyes of his.

"Fine." She returned, turning her body to face him properly. "I'm Iris." She said, extending her hand reluctantly, her head facing to her right, her eyes refusing to meet his.

"Iris wh-"

"Just Iris." The female occupant interupted hurriedly. A small pause issued between them, the silence begining to feel a little awkward.

With a clear of the throat, Cilan gently took her hand and shook, whilst saying:

"I'm Cilan. A Pokemon Conoissuer." Cilan greeted with a charming smile, bowing briefly and pointing at his chest with his free hand as he told her his full title.

The pair began walking again, and Cilan, as promised, said nothing. In fact, he didn't even make a sound. He controlled his footsteps so that they didn't sound on the pavement as they walked back the way they had originally came.

Coming to a stop at the door of the gym, Iris eyed Cilan from the corner of her brown eyes, worry evident in them.

"What about the dish?"

"We won't speak of it." Cilan replied simply. A sturdy expression sat on his face as he said that. Determination and finality accompanied it.

"Right...," Iris mumbled and then began to mutter incoherent thank you's. Axew demanded to held by jumping on her shoulder which shook her roughly.

"Careful Axew!" She panicked, gripping her locket tightly.

_"Run for it!"_

_"I am!"_

_"Well hurry up! They're going to catch us!"_

"Iris!" Cilan exclaimed desperately, shaking her shoulder. She shrugged herself out of his grip quickly, feeling intimidated and unsure. Her head didn't hurt, but it was whirring with questions and theories. What had that been about? And why did it seem so familiar? Argh, all this thinking was making her brain throb!

"Are you alright. You wouldn't answer me and I got worried." Cilan explained, seemingly terrifyed of the situation.

"I'm fine." She responded, although she didn't feel it. At all. Not even close to feeling "ok", never mind "fine".

Cilan lead her inside, holding the door open for her in which she murmered her thanks to him. Smiling, Cilan entered himself, and expertedly closed the door with his foot.

Iris began to wander, apparently deep in thought as she stepped in the wrong direction and towards the kitchens. Tenderly grabbing her shoulders, he swivelled her around to face some stairs, which he mimed someone going up them. Understanding, Iris stalked ahead of him, jumping up the stairs two at a time and then awaiting Cilan to join her up at the top.

"Hey Cilan!" Came a shout from the end of the landing.

"Chili?" Cilan questioned, spinning around in a circle to look at him.

"Where's the plate you hi- Woah! It's that girl from earlier. Uh, Iris?"

"Yes, Iris" Cilan answered for her, really not in the mood for his brothers teasing. He knew what would be coming up. Some joke about him and her "getting up to something" . But this was Chili, and it would be indeed peculiar if he didn't comment anything.

"So, what brings you two _up here?" _Chili smirked, averting his soul-searching gaze between the two of them, like he knew something that they didn't. Some kind of inside joke that the pair were oblivious to. And Iris didn't like it!

"This does." She snapped icily, pulling up her trouser leg ever so slightly, showing Chili her oozing wound.

"Good grief!" Chili cried, shielding his eyes. "That is nasty!"

"Yes, and my first aid kit is in my room. Went to go and collect it." Cilan quickly babbled through his sentence; something he rarely ever did at all. His Pansage nodded quickly, waving his paws in front of his face as if to say 'Yeah, nothing more, we swear!'

"Well, go and clean it up! Urgh, that's awful!" Chili shivered to himself, before rushing off and down the stairs, disappearing from sight.

"Ah... Chili at his finest. Such an unpredictable taste." Cilan commented, shaking his head. Then, regaining his posture, he gently took her wrist and led her to his room. Again he held the wooden door wide open for her and helped her sit down on the bed, before reaching under it and grasping his first aid kit with a shakey fist. Cilan had never been good with injuries; especially sprains and torn ligaments. They just looked so painful and out of shape that it sickened him and made him feel queasy.

"Pansage Pan?" The small grass pokemon asked Cilan, as he held up the bandage he had brought earlier to the scene. With a small laugh, Cilan took the bandage from him and petted him softly on his foliage covered head.

"Pansage, this won't be long enough to cover her entire bruise." Cilan said lovingly, stroking him gently and then shaking his paw in a token of thanks. Pansage nodded, understanding Cilan's concerns and smiling at him, urging him to tend to the dark-skinned girl who was currently clutching her leg.

"Tell me where it hurts." Cilan told her urgently.

"It doesn't!" She seethed.

"Now's not the time for games!" Cilan raised his voice, which brought Iris to immediate attention. "You're in pain! Now please, tell me!" He begged, his eyes screaming at her to let him help her. To let him care about her. To let him in.

"Here..." Iris weakly pointed to the top part of her leg, which was painted a variety of blues and blacks, much like a depressed artists pallet.

Cilan got something that looked like a spray out of his kit and also a clean bandage. Not giving Iris time to protest, he quickly applied the medicine to where Iris had informed him that it hurt the most. She gripped the bed sheets to stop herself from crying out, but couldn't contain a slight whimper of pain. Cilan glanced up at her apoligetically, his eyes looking pained and sorry, as they shone at her and telepathically comforted her.

_"It'll be alright..." _

"So, a Pokemon Conoisseur, huh?" Iris questioned through gritted teeth. "Didn't know you had it in you."

"Oh yes. It's not all that hard actually. You just have to think logically about it."

"Which is why I'll never be a Conoisseur." She joked, a meek, shakey smile coming onto her face. Cilan copied her smile, starting to feel slightly sick with the gruesome display of her leg. "What is it that you do exactly?"

"I judge the compatibilty between human and Pokemon and see if they're a good match. Us Conoisseurs are seperated into groups. C, B, A and S class. I'm an A class at the moment. I hope to be a top Pokemon Conoisseur someday." He rambled, but Iris seemed to be listening intently.

'Great', he thought. 'Anything to keep her speaking to me.'

Cilan reached for the bandage and began to wrap it around her leg, starting from the top. When he was finished, he taped it together, so that it wouldn't unwind while she slept. Then he grabbed a pillow and placed it at the bottom of his bed which caused Iris to give him a quizzical look.

"For your leg." He answered.

"W-Wait a second!" She tried to stand and did so with a wobbly perch. Most of her weight was on her good leg, which Cilan noted to himself as he stared at her. "I can't stay here! I have to move!"

"May I ask why you're in such a hurry?"

"Maybe tomorrow. I don't want you knowing everything about me yet, y'know. Just because we're travelling together, don't think that I'm gonna t-" She started, her voice raising by each word.

"I hear you, Iris. I won't ask you anything anymore. You can tell me when you're ready. If you're ready." Cilan smiled sweetly at her, fluffing up the cushion that resided at the bottom of his bed.

After several small blinks, Iris looked up at him with a face that he couldn't quite place. It looked like a mixture of flattery and apology, although sorry didn't seem to fit. He couldn't think of anything that she had to be sorry for, other than her (fake?) behaviour. And that was pushing it. You see, Cilan hadn't seen her as anything else and so he sort of expected a bitter attitude from her side. Not that it made it acceptable in modern day society, but it made it slightly more justifyable, he decided.

"But, where will you sleep?"

"I'm fine to let a lady have the best facilities that I have to offer."

"Oh but, I don't feel... Right." She mumbled, almost inaudiobly. She picked up Axew and held him with tight fingers, as if afraid he was going to leave her.

"Oh no, it's no trouble and besides, I -"

"Cilan, I'm sorry!" She burst out.

Now, let me tell you that nothing could compare to the shock that rested on Cilan's face as soon as she said that!

"Pardon?" He asked, as if he had misheard. Pansage rubbed it's eyes sleepily and yawned, before curling up on the rug in the far corner of the room.

"I said I'm sorry ok?" She repeated, flustered and uneasily. Then, she quickly jumped into bed (after she had carefully edged her leg onto the pillow) and turned her back on him, pulling the sheets up defensively as she tried to cover her face and hands. Axew snuggled in beside her, nuzzling her chest and giving her a friendly lick on the chin. Stroking his head, she bid him goodnight and fell asleep almost instantly.

_"She must be exhausted..." _Cilan thoughtfully considered, shifting his sight to the bundle under his simple bed sheets.

"Goodnight Iris." The shattered Conoiseeur murmered, before he fell asleep himself, dreaming of the upcoming travels that they were going to have tomorrow morning.

As Cilan himself would say, most exquisite...

**DONE! FINALLY!**

**Sorry for any OOCness. But in all honesty, I'm loving this chapter. So together, Cilan and Iris are destined to start their journey together! Tomorrow morning...**

**Hahahahahaha, anyways, stay tuned!**

**~Jess~**


	4. Dishonest Travelling

**Chapter 4! I'm kinda disappointed though. I think that this story is starting to fail. Badly. Because since my last chapter, NO ONE reviewed. No one at all, and it kind of discouraged me a little...**

**But I'm over it, and even if you guys just read it and enjoy it, that's enough for me! See, I'm completely done with it. Read if you want to and review if you want to! ^^**

**Also, does anyone use Serebiiforums? On the wishfulshipping forum? Just asking... ;)**

**This is a filler chappie! Which means it's a little shorter than my other one! But I will make up for it in the next chappie because it's going to have more happening, I promise!**

**Anyways, chapter four of "The Locket"**

**Enjoy!**

_As Cilan would say, most exquisite..._

Iris awoke to the blistering sunshine that poured through the window defiantly, despite the blinds being closed. They apparently, weren't doing their job.

"Urgh...," Iris groaned, pulling the covers over her head, trying to block out the rude streak of light that invasively sneaked past her closed eyelids.

Wait. Covers?

"Where am I?" She shot up from the bed, clinging the bed sheets close to her chest. That was when the pain came in her leg, but it was suprisingly small. Compared to what it had been like last night, this was nothing! The memories flooded back to her helpfully, hoping to unlatch her of this complicated series of questions that were currently rushing through her mind.

A small smile printed on her face. Waking up to a warm bed was nice. She desired it with a burning heart and just the thought of something this luxury being her own made her body tingle with excitement. But she slowly fell into a slightly saddened phase as she realised that this would never be the case, seen as though those memories that had just previously returned to pay her awareness a visit had left behind some rememberance. Some recalling of _why _she was here. And it wasn't all that pleasant.

She shakily stood up, slowly easing her weight onto her unstable leg. It stung rapidly for a moment, before it vanished and retreated from her bandaged limb. Her Axew, unlike every other morning, ever so slowly edged his way up onto her shoulder, as if in fear he was going to cause her even more pain. What she wouldn't say to her trusty friend, was that it really wasn't that bad. At all. In fact, the feeling seemed mutual. Pain came and went, just like back at home, and amongst the sickness of the action, Iris allowed a half smile to grace her face, the familiarity too good to simply hold back.

"Good morning Axew." She beamed brightly, eyeing her pokemon from the side.

"Axew!" He called, replying to her polite greeting almost instantly, a wide grin printed on his face.

"Are you ready to go?" Iris continued, her radiant smile never fading for the whole time that she spoke to her beloved, little pokemon.

"Axe!" He answered, nuzzling her face lovingly. Then he looked up and saw something missing.

"Axew Axe?" The innocent pokemon questioned, pointing to a folded blanket on the floor. It wasn't just folded. It looked as if it had been measured out perfectly and then scored, much like a net for a cardboard package, so that it would fold immaculately, without fault, every time.

"The Conoisseur?" Iris quizzed her pokemon, briefly suprised that he even remembered meeting the green-haired gentleman.

Axew nodded frantically, flexing his tiny claws as he did so.

"You're right when you say he's not here." Iris murmured, begining to lose herself in listless thought. "I wonder where he is?" She added, searching the room as if she had missed him. But, obviously, she hadn't.

"Axew! Axe Axe Axew!" The small, gray pokemon chimed, pointing an urgent claw at a set of drawers that stood behind the purple haired girl. She turned and peered at where her companion was directing her and saw something that caught her attention.

A note.

She advanced towards the drawers cautiously and carefully picked up the piece of paper. There, scrawled in neat, friendly writing said:

_Iris,_

_I hope you slept well, and my deepest apologies if you did not. If you wake up and I'm not there, then I'll be getting myself organised, getting ready for our trip to Nacrene city. Don't worry, I'm getting you a little prepared also. All you have to take care of is your clothing, which I'm sure, is just the clothing you're wearing now. If you look on top of the blanket that I put away, you should see some night clothes. They're nothing too fancy, just something to last you. I hope it's enough. I'll also be saying a proper goodbye to my brothers. In the meantime, just wait in my room until I return, which shouldn't be too long._

_~Cilan~_

Reading and then re-reading the note, Iris smiled a real smile. Something that she hadn't done in ages! And it felt great. She didn't really understand her urge to smile, but she was glad that she had; she was sure that she had been disabled from the act of smiling! But on a serious note, the actuality of the situation was that she had had nothing to smile for. Nothing to even allow a minute chuckle to pass by her lips and she realised that she had never really felt happy, wherever she went, for she knew what she would always have to return to. Her parents.

She shook her head rapidly, trying to rid herself of the sickly feelings that were slowly emerging inside of her. She wasn't going to think of that right now. Instead, she was going to mentally prepare herself for this rather tiresome journey to the next city.

"Stupid girl!" She scolded herself, hitting her forehead lightly. "Why did you tell him that? Any other excuse in the world but no, you had to pick that one! Way to go Iris!" She sarcastically chided, a groggy feeling welling up inside of her stomach as she figured that this lie could in fact, turn into a massive problem. True, she couldn't stand Cilan and his generous ways, but she owed him. Big-time. He had spared her and now she would have to do something that he wanted in order to get even with him. She threw her head back and groaned. Why him?

But, her mind argued with her, you're not really getting even with him are you? You lied to him. You're fufilling a false wish of his. It's not real, because you're not really headed for Nacrene City, are you?

"Shut up brain..." Iris grumbled, casting a lethargic glare up to the top of her head.

"Axew."

"Shhh." She pressed, throwing a careless hand over her faithful pokemon's mouth. He nodded obediantly.

Her head spun around as she heard the door open with a small squeak.

"Good morning." Cilan smiled at her, bowing slightly. His Pansage mimicked him from atop his shoulder, his chubby paws extended in a proffessional manner.

"Morning." She replied half-heartedly as she turned around to face him fully.

"Are you ready?" He questioned, looking her over speedily.

She motioned towards herself with her hands. "Looks like it." She remarked. Her Axew rolled it's eyes impatiently.

"Oh of course you're not." He exclaimed, snapping his fingers which made Iris jump uneasily. "Here." He voiced in a friendly tone, his arm extending as his fingers gripped something loosely. The thing flopped down but Iris identifyed it quicker than she thought she would. She took it by the handle, gingerly swinging it as she slowly took it from him.

"For me?" Iris muttered stupidly, peering up at him with big eyes that projected a new emotion that he had never seen her show before. Then again, he pondered, he hadn't really seen her as anything else other than angry. And confused. And denfensive. But that was really it! But this was refreshing. This was simply... Beautiful.

"Of course!" He chuckled, nodding his head at his Pansage who was nodding at Iris encouragingly with a wide smile. "Put those night clothes that I gave you into that bag." He added hastily with an apprehensive chuckle.

"Th-Thank you..." Iris breathed, holding the bag up in her nimble fingers, her face concreted into one of pure shock.

"It was no problem at all!" Cilan answered jubilantly.

Iris was speechless as she peeped up at Pansage with a new found shyness. She was completely flattered! But she musn't get side-tracked, she thought to herself silently. Flattering, but not enough to get her to change her path of thinking.

"_You hate him... Remember?" _Her mind said to her. Iris nodded remotley in confirmation, proving that she had understood her mind loud and clear. Axew licked her cheek to remind her he was still there and that he craved some sort of attention.

She complied with a relieved smile, happy to be surrounded by a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. This was new for her but she decided that she could adjust rather quickly to it. It was simply breathtaking to not have to worry about anything because you had people who were looking out for you and considering _her _welfare as well as their own.

_Please, just for a while..._

"So, shall we set off?" Cilan questioned, rubbing his hands together.

"Yes."

"Great! Lets get going then." Cilan grinned, slowly edging the door open with his foot, his Pansage standing atop his head and pushing the top end of the door alongside his trainer.

"Pansage Pan!" The little grass monkey chirruped, a wobbly smile painted across his lips.

"Axew? Are you ready?" Iris asked her beloved pokemon as she held him tight for support.

"Axew."

"Then lets go!" Iris beamed, looking down at her partner. With one final stroke, Axew cooed happily and vanished into his masters hair.

The pair (exclusing their pokemon) walked out of the door and down the hall, filing neatly down the stairs as they proceeded down the steep steps. Iris held onto the banister worriedly.

"Cilan!" Cress and Chili called simultameously. The green haired waiter whirled around to face his brothers with a happy smile carved into his thin lips. When the brothers saw that they had their brother's valuable attention, they waved speedily at him. He smiled and returned their farewells with a curt wave of his left hand, a teasing yet meaningful grin slanted on his face.

"We'll see you off!" Chili shouted to him, before he advanced forward quickly, dragging Cress behind him, who stumbled clumsily and toppled over, simply allowing himself to be pulled along by his insistent red-haired brother.

"Like I said," Cilan whispered to Iris, who peeped at him with interest. "He's the bully of us three." And Iris couldn't resist a small giggle. She felt flamboyant. Truly happy and that, she knew as much, would be a once in a lifetime experiance.

The group, alongisde Cress's and Chili's pokemon, headed towards the door and stepped out into the crisp morning Striaton air.

"Cilan, take care won't you? And make sure this lady gets home safe." Cress told Cilan with a sincere expressions.

"I will." Cilan assured in a trustworthy tone, his pokemon swiftly poking in the small exchange with a series of encouraging nods.

"Cilan, you better stay in touch with us!" Chili mock threatened, pointing a single finger at the green-haired waiter, as he wagged it at him expectantly.

A small laugh escaped Cilan's lips. "I will Chili. Don't worry so much!" Cilan replied hurriedly, his hands raised in a defensive position, as he swayed them side to side in front of his face.

With a sigh, a sad smirk rested on Chili's face. "I know you will. And, uh, look after Iris won't you?" He added rapidly, throwing a devilish look Iris' way. With a chortle, Cilan shook his red-headed brother's hand, bidding him a final farewell. The same was mirrored with Cress shortly after Chili was finished tearing off Cilans arm by shaking it so roughly!

"Goodbye brother." The duo chorused with courageous smiles. However, they threatened to fall to pieces any second.

_"It must be hard for them." _Iris wondered to herself. To have brothers seperated like this was so heart-warming yet so upsetting. It was difficult to explain, even to herself, and she silently thought about the next time they would see each other. That would be a happy day. Full of joy and happiness. The kind of day that she would love for herself. To have people missing her and caring about that would never happen.

_But you have Cilan now..._

Iris shook her head violently. Where had _that _thought come from? She quickly denied the existence of such a thought and held her locket tightly in the palm of her hand, the cool metal carressing her skin gently, as she fingered the only famliar possession that she owned.

"Ready?" A voice started, althoguh Iris knew who it belonged to.

"Ready." She remarked, the trace of a tender smile on her face as she took the first brave step forward. This could take her anywhere and that was what enticed her about this journey. If there was to be one positive thing about going to a false destination, it was the adventure that came along with it. Throwing her rucksack over her shoulders, she shrugged it on further and held the straps at the front as she walked further away from the parting brothers.

"Goodbye!" They both called from behind the wandering pair.

"Happy travels!" Were Chili's slightly smarmy last words as the two rounded a corner, giving Chili and Cress one final wave before they vanished from sight.

This could be one heck of an expedition...

**DONE! Sorry, this was more of a filler chapter, to get them actually on the road, but in the next chapter, something will happen, I rpomise. Well, maybe something major, maybe something small, but there will be more action and interaction between the two.**

**Yay, the positive feelings are starting to emerge from Iris now! :D *Cue dummy dance here!***

**So yeah, sorry for the silghtly boring chappie, but this was entirely necessary to get the REAL story started!**

**So yes, bear with me, and you will be repayed with a rather good (if written correctly) chapter five!**

**~Jess~**


	5. Raging Battles

**Hey guys! Chapter five is coming... NOW! Thank you to all of those who have been patiently (or impatiently!) waiting for the next chapter and I thank you for your loyalty regarding this fanfiction! Thank you!**

**Anyways, chapter five is underway!**

**~Jess~**

**P.S: When I've finished this, I'll still continue to write Wishfulshipping, obviously speaking here, but I have been having ideas for A ChilixOC story and also a Ferriswheelshipping. What do you guys think? Well, when I've finished this of course! Although I'm quite good at multi-tasking...**

_Thunder pelted on the sleak pavement beneath it's feet. There was nothing but the distant cry of it's damaged soul. It could hear nothing but it's own haunting footsteps and could see nothing but the cold walls of rejection that shimmered tauntingly around it. "Enough " was never quite "enough". The shadow shuffled onwards along the darkned route._

_"Help me..."_

_Nobody was there; as per usual, but this kind of loneliness was just so normal that it hurt. It stung cruelly in the bottom of the shadows heart; right where it thought it could never feel a single thing anymore. Life mocked it. __Normal __life that is. Life in itself was it's only enemy. The thing that kept it bound to the pain, hurt and humiliation every day of it's life._

_"I can be good enough..."_

_Then, in the dark of the unknown route that the shadow was cautiously edging along, a light flickered. It was beautiful. In fact, the most beautiful thing that it had ever seen in it's whole life. That tiny glimmer that was trying so hard to exist intrigued said shadow immensely and it blindly began to follow the new source of brightness._

_"New yet so familiar..."_

_The shadow reached a dying arm out and felt it's fingers brush the light. It was even more beautiful up close. Like a shimmering ball of energy that had come to greet it. Like an angel sent down from above, just to aid it._

_The shadow smiled a sad smile._

_"I know this..."_

"Axew, stop it!" Iris laughed as Axew yanked her hair playfully, the gray pokemon chortling along with her, proud that he could make his owner so happy.

Cilan smiled a knowing smile at the pair beside him who had done nothing but ignore him. But, he thought to himself, not in the same ignorant way that she did that first night. In more of an oblivious innocent way. Like she couldn't really see how much he cared about her and her safety. And her Axew was just amazingly likable; not like the other annoying pokemon he had had the misfortune to hear chirp in his ear while he studying them oh so carefully.

A weeping willows branches tickled Cilans face and brought him out of his deep thoughts, in which he sighed sadly and put them away to think about later.

"Pretty!" He heard and he smiled fondly. Then, turning around to his left, he watched as Iris cautiously yet urgently toyed with a bright pink flower. Cilan could tell just be looking at it that the flower was newly bloomed. They were always the best. New and fresh; untouched and unforgettable.

"Axew, be careful!" She scolded lightly as her Axew roughly tugged a petal and it fell to the ground listlessly. "You'll ruin it!"

"Axew..." The pokemon muttered an apology, which the trainer replyed to with a loving smile and a soft stroke on his jaggard spike that sat atop his petite head.

"By the looks of things," Cilan began, which caused the affectionate duo to turn around wordlessly to look at him properly. "You're going to be a little hungry by now." He finished.

Iris' eyes immediately lit up with a new found spark of energy.

"B-But I already told you. I have no money." Iris trailed sadly, peering down at the floor.

Cilan opened his mouth to speak, but found no words coming out. There was nothing. Did Iris actually think that he was going to make her pay him? He tried to contemplate it in his mind, but reached no rational conclusion. Gently, he breathed out and tenderly tapped her shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Iris, don't be silly. I wouldn't make you pay for it. Actually, I think we've already covered that you have no money to pay for it. Besides, that's why I accompanied you on your trip. To look after you. To make sure you stay safe." He chose his words ever so carefully, as his feet fidgeted nervously and his Pansage eyed him with a somewhat knowing smirk, the expression seeming natural; like he did it alot!

"So, I _don't _have to pay for it?" Iris asked naiively, cautiously standing on her tip-toes and swaying slightly from side to side in an apprehensive fashion.

Cilan chuckled earnestly. "Of course not."

A smile mischeviously peeked out of it's hiding place on Iris' lips and her eyes brightened considerabely, the large, innocent, brown orbs sparkling with a pure happiness. Cilan in turn, returned her astonished smile with one of a calm, collected nature and nodded once before he extended his hand for her to take.

She stared down at it and then began to reach for it, slowly yet surely. Her fingers brushed his and without warning, she yanked away and darted far from him, awaiting his arrival at the lush grass that was sitting openly opposite him. Cilan shook his head in confusion and then silently followed her to where she had messily plopped herself down, her Axew lazily relaxing on her stomach as he let out a weak yawn. Appreciative yips sounded when Iris petted Axew's head softly and Cilan secretly took a picture of the moment. The moment he never thought he'd see. Iris at peace.

For all the time that he had known her, which wasn't very long mindst you, she had been nothing but awkward and jumpy, unsure and distrusting. But this- this seemed so different and so unlike her.

Cilan smiled to himself and bent down, placing his bag on the soft, green grass that sat cooperatively underneath his soled feet. Taking a second to touch the inviting blades, he relinquished hold of his breath and beamed to himself, before he took out a foldable table and set it upright.

Out of his bag escaped the constircted cutlery and kitchen-ware as he spread it all out on the small, wooden table. Surely he reached out for a big metal spoon and gripped the handle confidently, begining to flick it and pratice his technique before he actually applied his skill to his actual product.

"Wow." Iris breathed and stared down at the vast collections of kitchen things that lay out on the table. Picking up a spoon, she drummed it on the table which caused Cilan to look up at her with a curious countenance.

"I've never seen so much kitchen stuff." Iris explained when she caught sight of his inquisitive spectating.

"And I've never seen someone so facsinated with a spoon." Cilan replied in jest, which apparently worked because she cracked a smile. He was definitely glad that he could actually get through to her and make her feel better than she did; although he wouldn't know. He didn't really know her all that well. But he was absolutely determined to know!

"How did you fit that into your bag?" She questioned, pointing a probing finger at the suface of the table.

"Well, I suppose it helps that it's foldable." Cilan chuckled, a genuine smile printed unmistakably on his face as his Pansage wrapped it's tail around his neck gently to keep itself falling from it's perch. Then, when he had found balance, he quickly retracted his tail from around his neck and speedily placed his hands on Cilan's head, hugging it close to his furry chest in order to stay stood upright. Then seeing that he couldn't see over the unruly flicks of green, Pansage sighed and clambered onto his head, sitting with his tail hanging limply by the young adults side.

"Are you quite comfortable now Pansage?" Cilan inquired, somewhat sarcastically, but a grin remained on his face as he spoke.

"Pan~" Pansage sighed and closed his eyes, returning his mock sarcasm; as if to say: "Yes, very so! Thank you!"

"Do you like fancy things? Like decorated delicacies that leave an exquisite flavour in your mouth when you've finished? Or maybe something spicy? Something that makes your mouth water. Or just maybe you like-"

"Sandwiches."

"Huh?"

"I've had a peanut butter sandwich. _They're _really good!" Iris said, rubbing her stomach for emphasis.

"So you don't want any of that? Instead you want, a sandwich?" Cilan asked uncertainly, reaching to fiddle with his cuffs on the end of his long-sleeved shirt as he rolled them up, exposing his pale arms to the blazing sunlight.

Iris nodded with a vibrant expression.

"Hmm, so plain and simple. Is that _all _you want?" Cilan pressed, peeping sneakily at his large stash of fruit and vegetables that were kept cool in a mini-fridge like package.

"Mmhmmm!" Iris confirmed with a happy grin on her face.

Cilan watched her for a minute before he let out a laugh. "Ok then. A peanut butter sandwich it is then!"

Iris then mumbled something incoherent, which made Cilan look up at her immediately, waiting for the reconsidering of an "upper-class" meal.

"Excuse me?" He asked knowingly, a slightly smug flicker in his eyes.

"I said, you wouldn't happen to have any apples... Would you?" She repeated, her fingers agitating each other as they slipped over one another in a nervous manner, before she reached up and held Axew, her beloved and trusty companion, close to her flat chest.

Cilans semi-smug look vanished and one of utter shock replaced it quickly. His eyes were widened and his mouth hung open slightly.

"Well, do you or don't you?" Iris asked a little more forcibly this time.

"Uh yes. Of course. It's in my bag." He answered, his face falling back to normal.

"Don't you want to get it?" She asked, seemingly edgey for unknown reasons. (To Cilan at least...)

"Oh, I think I can trust you enough." Cilan glanced over his shoulder and shot her a sincere smile. She simply blinked, shrugged and wandered idly towards his rucksack. She returned to Cilan's side moments later with a green apple hanging from her mouth as she fiddled with the ribbon on her shirt. When she had finished, she grabbed the apple with her right hand and let go of it with her teeth, watching as the object plopped into her hand with a bemused grin.

"Yum." Iris absentmindedly commented, as she muched her apple slowly and watched the placid sunset clouds roll by.

"Axew!"

A nervous chuckle sounded. "Uh, sorry Axew." Iris sweat-dropped and passed the apple to her demanding pokemon. Axew nodded once and then proceeded to take a big bite out of it.

"Do you and Axew always share like that?" Cilan asked curiously, eyeing the pair intently. Iris turned to face Cilan and noticed a remote beam of light glimmer casually on his green hair before it nonchalently disappeared from sight. Iris shook her head quickly and tryed to focus on the question.

_"Just a trick of the light." _She whispered to herself in the soltitude of her own active mind. Not that she had orginally thought that it was of more significance anyway; just that it seemed so... Familiar

"Yes. Yes!" Iris forced a smile and waved her hands in front of her face in a surrendering gesture.

"Alright, alright!" He laughed, raising his own arms in defense. "I was just asking."

"Well don't ask such childish questions!" She pouted, angry that he was so unphased at her obviouscover up. "Of course we always share! We're friends. Duh!" She pointed to her head and tapped it twice with her fore-finger, mocking him.

The conoissuer simply continued to smile at her.

Feeling his judging eyes, she span around, uncomfortable, and moved away from him to sit on some particularly green grass in the corner (if you could call it that) of the field that they were currently travelling through.

A couple of minutes later, she felt Cilan's fingers tap her lightly on the shoulder.

"What?" She snapped icily, not even having the diligence to turn around and look at him.

"Sandwich?"

Iris suddenly felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. No. Yes, she couldn't deny it. Guilt. She felt _guilty _for Cilan. What the -?

"Thanks." She smiled feebly, accepting the "meal" from the waiters clutches. She spectated the evening sky. The orange and purple hues that mingled oh so peacefully and cooperatively together made her shudder. She wished it was that simple, but no. It couldn't be, otherwise there would be no point in living. Life, she was sure, was just a series of problems aimed at you and you were supposed to know how to solve them. Either that, or learn. And everyone, but her, seemed to have capabilities of doing so. But she could never seem tio grasp it. It was pointless to even try and so she ran away. She stole. She lied. She cheated people. Maybe her mother was onto something when she had so carelessly called her own daughter, "worthless". Maybe she wasn't completely wrong, Iris pondered, grasping her locket tightly in between her thin, dark fingers, the digits relishing in the cool, metalic feel of the chain that led down to the main jewel. A bright red ruby that opened up and that, inside of there, remained empty, for Iris didn't have any treasured memories, nor did she want to keep a reminder of the reason that she was running away.

Now that she thought about it, her mother may have been right about her sneaky tendancies all along. Take right now for instance, she wondered, this wasn't exactly her locket. It had been her mothers and she was supposed to have gained it, but her mother never even mentioned it. Probably wanted to keep it seen as though her daughter was so "unworthy" of holding such a prized possession.

_"I stole it." _She murmured to herself. She unclasped the fragile necklace and looked down at it with pained eyes.

And she had lied to alot of people. To her grandmother. To her father. To her friends, before they all left her of course.

And Cilan. She had lied to Cilan too. That kind, innocent gentleman had offered her safety, protection and even food, and she had shamelessly lied to him.

She, for the third time that day, shook her head violently from side to side, hoping to make the thoughts vanish, which they did without little complaint.

_"Don't forget Iris, it's his kind (_meaning male!) _that caused you so much pain. Don't give him anything! He doesn't deserve it. He'll be just like your father, I promise you!"_

_"But Iris!" _Her other half of her mind screamed at her. _"Aren't you being exactly like your mother? You're going to cause him pain in the long run. When he finds out the truth -"_

_"But he's not going to find out the truth. Is he Iris?" _The "devil" of her mind wrapped it's inviting reasoning around her and made Iris feel safer.

_"Tell him Iris, he deserves to know!"_

_"No he doesn't!"_

_"Yes he does!"_

_"No he - Yes he!"_

"Stop it, both of you!" Iris seethed angrily and she ignored the curious glances that she could feel Cilan giving her. She could feel his eyes boring into her back and she shifted her weight self-conciously. Iris closed her eyes.

_"Even if he "deserves" to know the truth, he's not going to! I'll never tell him. Never!" _Iris shouted at herself, defying her rational thoughts.

"Iris?"

"Yes?" She exhaled, rubbing her temples in order to keep her will to live within her grasp.

"May I ask you where you got that from?" Cilan quizzed. His Pansage tipped it's head to the side as it stared onwards.

"What?" She asked quizzically.

"The locket." He clarifyed, sitting next to her. "Where did you get it from?"

**Ok so, I kind of lied about something major happening, but this is where it slowly starts to build up! I promise! This time for real. Plus this is a significant part of Iris' runaway, so that lie kind of reduces because it is so important to the story line and the plot itself! So HA, I win! :P**

**Anyways, more will be xplained in the enxt chapter, and I'm sorry for any grammatical errors. I didn't really have any time to check this over because we had to go to the doctors... ^^;**

**But anyways, thanks for reading and stay tuned for chappie 6 please! Review too! And if you do and you don't mind, would you mind telling me your points of view regarding my ideas for fanfiction? I'd really appreciate it! :) Poor Chili needs more loving... ;)**

**~Jess~**


	6. Timely Stories and New Feelings

**Sixth chapter is coming right up!**

**But seriously, can you tell me your thoughts on my ChilixOC idea? And maybe My Ferriswheelshipping story idea? Thanks!**

**So without further ado, here's the sixth chapter to "The Locket"**

_"The locket." He clarifyed, sitting next to her. "Where did you get it from?"_

Iris blinked, momentairaly confused by the question. Then regaining her composure, she let out a smug breath of air and opened her brown eyes a fraction to look at the green haired boy, who was currently waiting patiently with a somewhat expectant expression on his face.

"You can ask." She replied.

"Oh, I'd love to know Iris. It looks like you've taken great care of it and anyone can see by the way you treat it that you care for it dearly. Protected, like a vintage wine." He continued, smiling warmly at her.

Should she tell him? She had hidden alot from him already. Maybe she owed him just a little bit of truth? Or maybe it was too risky.

Either way, she found herself smiling promtly and exhaling a breath that she hadn't been aware she had been holding. She firmly placed her hands to her locket and held it in a semi vice-like grip.

"Alright Cilan. I'll tell." 

_The elderly man stumbled through the trees weakly._

_"Bloody spiderwebs..." He grumbled grouchily, swotting away the unwanted sticky white threads that were spread across the exterior of his brown, leather jacket. He exhaled deeply._

_"The things I do to get here." He continued to irately grumble and he ran a roughed out hand through his tousled white hair._

_He trudged around the perimiter of the lake, looking absentmindedly at the innocent ripples. Nothing could make him smile anymore. Not since Vienna had passed away. She was his everything and now his everything had been cruelly snatched away from his content fingers._

_"Every year..." He mumbled, holding the locket to his face as he inspected the bright red ruby-like jewel that hung limply, swaying to some sort of melancholy tune that only it was attracted to. The man smiled slightly, though it was a sad, incomplete smile. _

_He got to his knees and felt the grass blades invitingly caress his crinkled fingertips. How good it felt to get away from the house. To get away from the torture of isolation. He breathed out fully and relished the ability to do so, his diaphragm doing some much needed stretching._

_He concentrated hard as he peered into the vast blues of the lake, as if expecting to find some sort of answer to his many problems. With his knees being old and rusty, he abruptly shifted until he reached a comfortable position and opened the locket. Inside, the red interior glimmered, untouched and pure, but sort of dusty._

_"Well, that won't do, will it dear?" He asked no one in particular, although he was perfectly aware of who he wished that he could be talking to right now. Right here would be perfect. The calming lollop of the idle ripples that resided in the water; the vibrant, soft grass that could relive stress just from the simple stroke of a agitated hand._

_Dipping the locket into the water, he carefully put a single ring finger into it and tenderly scrubbed the dust away, which casually floated outwards and then disappeared from sight._

_When he had finished, he closed the latch of the locket and kissed it gently, before he rubbed the top of it lovingly and smiled a teary-eyed grin._

_"I miss you Vienna. Oh so much, believe me." He whispered, clutching the beloved item to his chest and sobbing harshly, throwing his pride away as he collapsed onto the grass that had once seemed so refreshing, but now annoyed him with it's constant tickle._

_Wiping his eyes with his coat sleeve, he stood up and brushed himself off cautiously. Pocketing the locket, he walked a brave step forward and felt his feet hang over the edge of the river. Summoning up his courage took slightly longer than he would have liked and so he hesitated in taking the final step._

_"I can't take this anymore..." He whimpered, tears streaming down his face. "I tried to pretend Vienna but it doesn't help me. Please understand my decision." He cried as he spoke._

_"Goodbye." He bid through silent tears before he took the step that seperated him from his death. It was obviously not drown him by simply being there. He would have to purposefully do it, and do it he would."_

_Shoving his face under the water, he intentionally breathed and took in a huge amount of water which caused him to splutter hysterically._

_"NO!"_

_"You can't!"_

_Coughing violently, the man retched and took his head out of the upset water, searching around frantically for the owner of the voice, although his eyes were still smeary with lake water and tears._

_"I can do whatever I want to!" He screamed angrily, raising a fist and smashing it down into the water, as if to threaten the person into going away and leaving him in peace._

_"It's not your time yet!"_

_"Not my - What are you talking about? Show yourself!" He shouted, enfuriated and breathing heavily, his coughing still present._

_"I'm afraid I can't." The voice replied. It sounded afraid. "Please mister, understand. I can. You're feelings that is."_

_"You're talking rubbish!" The man screeched, blinded by anger as he thrashed wildly and tried to hit a seemingly non-existent target. He slowly stopped and instantly broke down, simply floating helplessly in the water as he sobbed loudly. Not even having the energy to swim back to shore, he just stayed there. Floating._

_A mysterious light surrounded the weak man and gently lifted him back to the floor, in which he turned on his stomach and began to punch the hard dirt. He felt a tender hand on his back although he couldn't feel any fingers. It didn't matter to him as he shrugged the hand off and gripped the grass beneath his rugged fingers, much like a ragged, old blanket._

_"Vienna is happy."_

_That was all the man needed to hear and he straightened up and wiped his bleary eyes._

_"W-What?"_

_"She's ok! She really is Mister." The voice continued and an immediate grin broke out onto the elders face as he beamed happily, though his eyes were still disbelieving pools of liquid. Tears were still making their way downwards and branding his face with a not-so-subtle streak._

_"H-How...?"_

_"I've been watching her for you. I know why you come here."_

_"I come as tradition. It's-_

_"You don't have to explain it to me sir. Just promise me that you will never attempt something like that again. Vienna will be very depressed and angry with you if you do." The voice spoke seriously, serenading his ears as if it were the most valid piece of information that he had heard in his life. In fact, it may well have been._

_The man considered, weighing out his options thouroughly through his mind._

_"I-I promise..." He swore, closing his eyes as he breathed in deeply. "Y-You saved me from a terrible mistake." He said, turning to where he could hear the voice coming from. He heard a callous chuckle._

_"I know. Believe you me mister. Now, remember, I will always be watching so don't you dare try and break your promise. I take these things very seriously." Voice murmured and with that, the slightly confused male breathed deeply as a soft breeze made it's way past him and into the open clasps of the locket. The locket was enveloped in light for a second before the bright red "jewel" shuddered one final time and then lay still in the palm of the mans hand._

_"Always with me, huh?"_

_The locket shimmered with a brief flash of light in response._

_"I wonder, did that mysterious person even know my name?" He pondered to himself._

_"Of course... Dragon Master..."  
><em> 

Iris breathed uneasily.

"So that's basically what happened." She said, trying to hide her confusion. By now up above was littered with stars and the pair were simply sat under them taking in the vast beauty of the dark expanse of sky.

"Wow - I never thought." Cilan breathed, taking in Iris' story, the knowledge so new and yet so perfectly refined inside of his mind. "Your parents be brilliant story-tellers!" He grinned.

"Yeah..." Iris mumbled, accompanied by a not very convincing chuckle, although Cilan paid no heed. Axew snuggled against her chest and she welcomed him warmly, wrapping her shivering arms around the tired pokemon

"Iris?"

"Yeah, Cilan?"

"A-Are you alright? You seem distant is all."

Iris swallowed sharply and turned to face him. Was she alright? She couldn't tell. She just felt the waves of confusion and curiosity course through her. How on earth was she able to retell the story in that much depth. She had heard the basic story from her grandmother, but she had never gone into that much detail. She had just called it "a strange occurance" that had, by fate, chosen to happen to her family. Although why was not for certain, Iris liked to believe so. It added mystery and background to her life and she was more than delighted to go and visit her grandmothers; the only person in the family who treated her well and gave her the privaledges of a normal, everyday child.

But then she had died in an accident and Iris' life had only gone downhill from there. With no escape from her parents, she learnt to face everyday that she had the misfortune to wake up to. Although she would never, _ever _wish death upon herself, she had, more than once, wished that her wake would be delayed. That just maybe she wouldn't wake up _at all _and simply watch her mothers reaction from the safety of an untouchable world.

"I - Cilan, I'm tired now." She choked out, shivering more violently now.

"Right. You look freezing there." The conoisseur pityed her, reaching out to stroke her back. She shrugged away and stood up shakily, her leg buckling for a second before the minute pain sub-sided and left her body alone altogether. Cilan could only blink and then set his hand that was still outstretched down on the grass beneath him, sighing silently to himself.

She backed away form him and simply waited for him to do something. Cilan peeped up at the night sky, stealing a remote glance of Iris as he did so.

"West wind tonight..." He murmured to himself, watching the stars twinkle amongst themselves, though their attempts were valiant, they could simply not compare to the brightness and beauty of the huge white orb that sparkled flamboyantly in the sky, offering generous amounts of light to the world below it.

Then, with a sure nod, he stood and wandered over to his bag that lay idly on the floor. He unzipped it and then something that Iris wasn't expecting at all emerged from the depths of the seemingly endless rucksack.

"Where are you sleeping?" Cilan smiled, watching her intently as she self-conciously gripped Axew tighter and closer to her body than before.

"Where are _you _sleeping?" She questioned defiantly, spectating the sleeping bag that hung limply in Cilan's pale fingers. Her body quaked again upon seeing what warmth that sleeping bag had to offer. By now, Axew's eyes were wide with lack of air as he desperately tryed to writhe and wriggle out of Iris' tight grip.

With a chuckle, Cilan playfully rolled his eyes and brought out another sleeping bag and set it down on the grass underneath a particularly starry patch of sky.

"Here."

"Then I will sleep-" Iris began and then she walked away from Cilan, only satisfyed when she was at least a good three metres away from him. "Here." She finished and Cilan breathed out sharply.

"You know, you're really stubborn." Cilan commented, looking her in the eyes with an alert stare.

"Whatever. I didn't make you come with me." Iris replied nonchalently, fixing herself on her back in her chosen place. To prove his point even further, she turned on her side when she noticed him still looking at her and faced away from him. She heard Cilan mutter something that she couldn't quite hear, no matter how hard she squinted her eyes and opened her eyes.

"What did you say?" Iris growled defensively.

"I said I'm glad I did." Cilan clarifyed without so much as a seconds hesitation, as he beamed warmly at her.

"Oh..." Iris sighed and then turned to roll over again, thinking deeply about today's events. Like she had previously pondered, how could she retell the memory in that much detail? She'd never met her great grandfather and yet she could tell anyone xactly what he looked like and exactly what happened on that fateful day! She heard something shift in the dark of the night and she found herself listening intensely, trying to figure out what it was. What was wrong with her today? Her senses weren't as sharp and precise as usual.

"Gah!" She squeaked in surprise when she saw something spiky come into her view. Rolling onto her back she kicked out, hoping to hit something and send it away, but the thing dodged to the side.

"Iris? Iris! IRIS!" The thing shouted above her struggling. She froze noticeably and held her breath.

"It's me. Cilan!" He exclaimed, flailing his arms around as if that would prove his point.

"Cilan?"

"Yes!"

Iris released her breath and transformed it into a sigh of relief. Then in rememberance, she narrowed her eyes and bolted upright, glaring at him.

"Idiot! You scared me!"

"Well excuse me for wanting to give you this!" He retorted, though he sounded more hurt and rejected than angry.

Pansage and Axew shifted uncomfortably as they watched the confrontation.

In Cilan's hand hung the sleeping bag from earlier and Iris recognised it instantly.

"F-For me?" She quizzed, losing her pride almost momentairaly.

"Of course for you Iris!" Cilan replied, dropping it gently in her lap. Then without another word, he turned and walked away from her.

_"You've done it!" _The "devil half of her mind clapped and cheered. _"You got rid of him! Heh, y'did great, kid!"_

"Funny, I don't feel so great."Iris thought to herself.

_"That's because you aren't! What on earth was going through your mind when you sent him away? Go and apoligize to him!" _The "Angel" half of her mind scolded.

"Go away, both of you!" Iris snapped, and her conscience automatically (metephorically of course!) vanished to let her think things through on her own.

"Idiot shouldn't have scared me." Iris grumbled to herself before she stood up and scanned her surroundings as clearly as she could, the dark really starting to iritate her as it proved to be an obstacle. "But maybe I should be more understanding with him. He didn't mean to, afterall. And he's trying so, so hard. Just for me." She spoke quietly. A brief wind hit her face and the all too familiar feeling of guilt welled up inside of her.

"He's probably left now anyways." She sadly said to nobody in particular.

"Who's left?"

"Cilan!" She exclaimed before throwing herself in the direction of the voice. Being unprepared, the pair fell backwards onto the soft grass and Cilan whacked his head on the dirt.

"Oh, that hurts..."

"Oh Cilan, I'm so glad that you didn't leave! I'm sorry! Y'see, you left, and then you came back to me, but you didn't really leave at all, did you? Because I knew that you could never leave because you promised that you wouldn't leave and-" Iris rambled, her eyes bright and ecstatic as Cilan listened to her tangent in silent amusement.

"You're rather cynical really, aren't you Iris?" He said softly. "Of course I didn't leave you. It wouldn't be gentlemanly to do so. And besides, a promise is a promise. I take these things very seriously Iris." He grinned sincerly and Iris felt a pang of familiarity deep inside of her.

Far past caring that she was spread on top of him at a funny angle, she held him close and smiled to herself, feeling his heartbeat beat roughly against her, but she found it strangely comforting.

"Just out of curiostiy, where did you go?" Iris questioned, lifting her neck to look at him.

"To put the kitchen things away." He answered, before he laughed at her dumb-founded expression. Despite herself, Iris found herself laughing with him too, and soon enough, the two were just a puddled mess on the floor, her beside him in the green of the grass.

Wiping tears from his eyes, he sat up and scratched his head, an apprehensive countenance settling amongst his somewhat crumpled demeanour. Sighing, he turned to her, smiled and stood up, casually offering his hand to her, mirroring the action for the third time since they'd met.

She looked up at him and achknowledged his inviting smile and carefully took his hand and allowed herself to be hoisted up, though she snatched her hand immediatley away from his when he had lifted her to her feet.

She started to turn and walk away.

"Iris?"

She turned her head and looked at him intensely in response.

"You know that you can trust me... Right?"

"I- I think so." She answered truthfully, feeling an alien emotion in her gut.

"Good. Well, goodnight Iris." He smiled and nodded to her. She returned his smile, though hers was shaky and unsure, if not slightly distrusting, and walked away from him.

The conoissuers smile slowly fell from his face and he sighed a half-sad sigh.

"How long will it be before she _knows _so...?"

**DONE! YEAH!**

**So, that was basically how she got it and the locket is starting to show for what it really is now. Don't worry though, I'm not even half way yet! :D**

**And I tried to add a bit of believeable fluff in this. I probably failed! Yay! *Insert screwed up dummy face here please!***

**Sorry if you feel that the moods were changing too fast, but that's just how Iris is. Temperemetal. And that's that, so if you don't like it, well, sucks to be you! :P :P Hehehehehe, kidding. ;)**

**So yes, hopefully you liked it.**

**And I apoligize for any mistakes. I have gone through this. TWICE. But my keyboard sucks and if I've missed anything... Well, sorry! :)**

**Please, if reviewing, gimme some feedback on the ideas, if you would be so kind? Granted, I'll probably do them anyway, but I would like to see who would stick around to read it and stuff, so yeah, it would be really helpful if you did! Sorry if I seem a bit pushy. I'm just desperate to know! :D :D :D**

**Thanks for reading! :)**

**~Jess~**


	7. Parents Aren't Far Behind

**Hey guys! Chapter seven of "The Locket" is underway!**

**More Wishfulshipping goodness for you fans. And more story for those of you who have enjoyed my story, some more of my "wonderful" story for you's too! :D**

_"Just move!"_

_"But what if I don't make it?"_

_"Just trust me!"_

_Although the shadow had no recognizable face, it drooped with uncertainty, as it innocently eyed the huge gap that seperated it from the beam of light that was screaming encouraging things to it in a friendly way._

_"Here goes nothing..." The shadow murmured to itself, before it leaped across the gaping cavern with a determined thrust._

_But it hadn't jumped far enough and it found itself falling. Until, the light flickered and wrapped around it, hoisting it up to safety with only so much as a loving, careful presence._

_"T-Thank you." The shadow stuttered on the verge of tears as it breathed deeply and tried desperately to grasp what had just happened._

_"It was no problem... And I just wanted to say that , before anything else happens, I l-"_

_The cliff suddenly trembled beneath their feet, and they found themselves clinging to each other, falling to... Well, whatever was down there. The world had a cruel sense of humour and one part of the joke was uncertain feelings. No clarification whatsoever, and that was what scared the descending pair the most._

_Some sharp looking rocks came into their view as their vision began to blur due to pure velocity and speed._

_Gripping each other intensely, they fell further and further..._

_And then -_

"NO!" Iris screamed, bolting upright and clinging the thick fabric of Cilan's spare sleeping bag within her quaking fingers. Visible beads of sweat were hanging limply on her skin and the back of her neck felt prickly. Her breathing was fast and laboured.

"It was just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream..." Iris whispered to herself, trying to convince herself to simply forget about the seemingly frivolous dream and go back to sleep until the night passed by. Failing miserabely, she pulled her knee's close to her chest and rocked, tears welling up in her eyes as her breathing still remained alarmingly speedy.

Despite her tough attitude, a few stray tears dribbled down her cheeks, scarring her face with a darkened trail, horridly reminding her of her petty unhappiness and how much of a child she was being. It wasn't even that scary a dream! But the emotion - The emotion had been so real, like it was really happening to her at that moment. Like she could do nothing to stop anything.

Ashamed, she hid her face under the material of her sleeping bag and allowed herself to spill, tonnes upon tonnes of tears rolling out, happy to be freed from their cell deep within her wrenching heart.

"Iris?" A careful voice called out.

Ignoring the sound, she snuggled down deeper and bagan to wipe her eyes viciously, knowing exactly who it was.

"Iris?" He called again, this time urgently and panicked.

Summoning her courage and what was left of a pride, she forced a smile and replied:

"Yeah?" Her voice was wobbly and definitely more insecure than she would have liked, and she squeezed her eyes shut and silently prayed that he hadn't noticed.

"Oh there you are! Boy, I feel a little... Dense right about now." Cilan sheepishly grinned, rubbing the back of his neck in an apprehensive manner. Then spotting that she was still burrowed underneath of her blankets, he frowned and peered at the lump in the bag.

"Are you cold, Iris? Do you need another blanket? I'd be more than happy to help you with that!" He said compassionately, a somewhat timid smile imprinted onto his face as he continued to stare at the bump in the blankets.

"No thanks." She mumbled, still drying her face.

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

Not buying it, Cilan shook his head and stood up, slowly approaching her laid our form, cautiously edging his way towards her. The grass crinkled from underneath of his steps, the natural blanket tickling his feet gently in an inviting fashion.

Getting to his knee's, he hesitantly reached a hand towards the top of the sleeping bag and began to pull it down.

He immediately retracted his hand when he felt her slap it away with a feverish and protective swipe. Frowning in determination, he confidently yanked the blankets away from her face and saw a shivering Iris.

"Oh Iris! I'm so sorry. I had no idea!" Cilan cried, instintively wrapping his arms around her shaking form to keep her warm, which she right away tried to reject. With a kind smile, he closed his eyes and sighed a small smile. "If you were cold, you could have just - A-Are you crying?"

"No!" She snarled, writhing angrily in Cilan's tender grip. Overwhelmed by her strength, he made a noise in his throat and dragged his arms away hastily.

"I-I'm fine! Go away!" She snapped, glaring at him.

"Iris." He breathed, which caused her to look at him with an innocent expression. "What's wrong?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You've been crying! I can see it Iris!" Taking a breath to calm himself, Cilan continued. "So, why is a lady such as yourself so upset in these beautiful hours of the morning?" He inquired softly. He felt the anger bubble inside of him and the truth was, that he wasn't angry at her, but at himself. He should have been there to protect her; to aid her; to come straight to her. But he hadn't, and he cursed himself for being so incompetent. And to a lady too.

_"Pull yourself together Cilan!" _His mind snapped at him and he closed his eyes for a brief second, before opening them with a new found patience.

Hanging her head limply, she muttered something that his ears didn't quite catch.

"Huh?" He quizzed, edging towards her again, touching her blanket with his long fingertips, bringing him to realise just how close to her he was.

"I said I had a nightmare, ok?" She snapped, turning her head away from him dejectedly.

"Iris, I -"

"Don't even bother!" She growled, "Just forget I ever said anything. It's stupid..."

"Iris -"

"Forget it!"

A tense silence passed between them and the morning sun began to peek over the horizon. Pansage, the grass monkey, yawned and rubbed his little eyes sleepily, before sitting up and looking for Cilan, only to find him not so far away from Iris. The two seemed to be conversing from what he could see and he shrugged his petite shoulders and curled up into a small ball and enjoyed the extra sleep that he was going to obtain. (Cilan and him always woke up at the crack of dawn to get the restauraunt sorted out!)

"Iris, I'm trying to help you. Don't you see that?" Cilan questioned, saddness in his eyes as he stared at her, his fingers fiddling with a small thread that had come loose from the spare sleeping sack.

"You want to help me? Then shove off and leave me alone! How's about that?" She argued rudely, the thoughts of his reaction not processing in her whirring mind. Cilan shook his head and backed away slightly.

"No Iris." He stated simply, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath of air, the substance drugging him into believeing that he was perfectly calm and his reaction to her stinging words was completely refined and practised. He thought about how his brothers would react to his temper, and smiled when he realised he could predict them with ease.

_"Just give the customer what they want and then leave Cilan. It's the best thing to do." _Cress would say flatly.

_"Go on Cilan! Sock it to 'em! And if you don't, I sure as heck will!" _Chili would encourage angrily, as he flailed his arms wildly.

"Listen, I don't know why you're so angry, but I promise you, I'm determined to get you home. And get you home I will. I swear that much. I _swear _it." The connoisseur pressed. Iris sat speechless, not knowing what to say to this pure devotion. It was refreshing to know someone who actually cared. What was she saying, of course he didn't care! He couldn't wait to just dump her at the next city and run back to his normal life, with his normal brothers and his normal...

Family.

"You _swear _it?" Iris breathed, taking her chances. Axew peeped between the two, yawned and jumped from Iris' soft tresses, landing square on the pillow, which he curled up on and began to snooze.

"I swear it." Cilan repeated seriously, his eyes locking with hers as he silently tried to convince her. Then, his mood lightening, he smiled a half smile ans said:

"Now, this nightmare of yours. It just screams bad taste to me. Do you, maybe, want to share it with me?" He breathed, awaiting the harsh smack on his face, or the rough shove on his chest as she pushed him far away from her. Cilan braced himself hurriedly.

"Not really." Iris mumbled, a red streak of embarrassment appearing on her dark skin.

"Well that's fine too. You can talk to me when you're ready. But please, Iris, remember that I'm always available for you to talk to. If you have anything, anything at all, that's on your mind, don't hesitate to ask me, ok?" Cilan smiled softly, his heartbeat increasing slightly as he noticed that his words rang with not only truth, but hope. The hope that she would eventually share with him all of her secrets and all of her worries. That she would trust him that much and put her faith in him regardless of what was hidden within her thoughts. In fact, he found himself _wanting _to know about her, though the reason he couldn't quite place.

"I-I'll think about it." Iris stammered, peeping up at him with both shyness and apology. "I'm sorry Cilan." She murumered, her head instantly plummeting back to the earth below her.

"Iris, I forgive you. Without a doubt." The waiter said sincerly. Then pausing for a moment, he reached out and brushed her hair out of her eyes and tucked it neatly behind her ear. Slowly dragging his fingers across her face, he rubbed gently at the now dry tear stains.

"Tears don't suit you, Iris." He whispered, rubbing tenderly with his thumb at her other streak that ran down her cheeks. She stayed still for a moment, just to feel the new emotion well up in her gut and then shifted, uncomfortable with the whole charade.

"I'll try not to wear them too often then." She muttered, before she raised her head to look up at him. "For your sake of course." She added with a somewhat cute giggle.

He closed his bright green eyes and chuckled.

"Well!" Iris announced, standing up from her sat down position. "I say we get a move on! We're not getting to Nacrene City simply sitting here, are we?" She asked cheerfully, her mood instantly picking itself up, her hands autmomatically reached out, hoisting up Axew gently as she tried not to wake him. She succeeded and she carefully placed him in her hair, his favourite place all too familiar and then began to roll up her sleeping bag.

"It's still pretty early Iris. Are you sure you don't want to rest for a little while longer?" Cilan inquired kindly, poking his Pansage on his little green head.

"Come on you! You were supposed to be up and awake a while ago!" The Connoisseur cooed, laughing at his Pansage's bashful expression as he rubbed the back of his head with a chubby paw.

"I won't be able to sleep anyways." Iris smiled, stretching her legs, her back arching up in a wierd angle. "Your lecture's got me wide awake now!" She teased, as she continued to stretch. Cilan grinned.

"Breakfast, Iris?"

"Already sorted!" She replied, before she took off into the forest that was opposite the field that had just previously been asleep in. Unsure of what to think, Cilan nodded his head and began to unpack the things all over again. "She'll be back soon enough." He said to himself. He put his and her sleeping bags away.

And sure enough she was. With a whole bunch of berries and fruits to offer too!

"H-How did you...?" Cilan stared at the wide assortment at fruit with an open mouth.

"Talent~" Iris sang, a slightly secretive tone about her as she winked at him innocently.

_"These mood swings. Wow. She's fine one minute and then flying off of the handle the next. I suppose I'm just going to have to learn what makes her annoyed and then avoid those things at all costs. It's probably normal for her. Still, something doesn't seem all that right about it..." _Cilan thought to himself.

"Well, we can certainly have a tasteful breakfast with all of this!" He said happily, picking up a sharp kitchen knife and walking to the set up table in which the fruits were laying aimlessly on. Iris sneaked an apple and gave it to Axew, the pokemon accepting with a hearty chirrup.

_"This feels great. So normal. Maybe Cilan's not all that bad..." _Iris pondered in the safety of her mind. As much as Iris spoke her mind, there were always some thoughts that remained unvoiced from the inside of her mind. And it amazed her. It really did. With how much talking she did once she was set off, she was suprised that her head wasn't completely empty altogether!

"Maybe this could work." Iris said with a smile.

~~~~ Wishfulshipping break here! ~~~~

_"Gone? What do you mean __gone_?" _She screeched, eyeing her husband with enragement._

_"Yeah. The ungrateful brat left about three days ago. How could we not have noticed?" The man growled_

_"You mean how could __you __not have noticed?" The mother seethed, clenching her fists tightly as she fought back the angry tears._

_"How am I supposed to know what she's up to? Your fault that you went out to the pub on __your __day!"_

_"My day? Wednesday is your day to watch the kid!"_

_"I gave 'er a smack or two. What more do you want, woman?" The man barked angrily._

_"Besides the point now, John. Right now, we go and look for her, bring her back here and teach her some respect. Show her what happens when she mess' us about, eh?" The woman cackled, wind coming in from the wide-open windows._

_"I'll call for the poilce."_

_"Tell them to send in all their reinforcements. She's a sneaky one, she is!" The female adult growled, her eyes scanning her surroundings as if to emphasise her point further. "I'm going to go and get my locket." She added hastily. They exchanged glances and split off to do their sepearte "jobs"._

_A scream could be heard from the other room that the woman had just walked into. The man came running instantly._

_"What now?"_

_"I-It's gone! My locket, John. It's gone!" She cried, flapping her hands as she breathed in and out dramatically._

_"Bitch must have taken it with her..." He cursed lowly._

_"We find her now, John!" She shouted_ _and the pair walked outside, the door slamming harshly against the cracking door frame._

_Said impact sent a picture of their family plummeting to the uncovered wooden boards and against the floor, forever to be broken, a nail that was carelessly stuck out of the plank punctured the dark-skinned babies face with a piercing rip..._

**Done! YAYZ! FINALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYY! :D :D :D :D**

**Kinda dramtic, eh? ;D**

**Sorry for the delay but I was kind of... Sidetracked into not updating. Y'see, I have a school comic to work on aswell as this so... Yeah, it may make my updates ALOT slower in the future. But on the good side, I've broken up for my big school holidays now so updates should be running smoothly.**

**Yeah... Who doesn't LOVE an over-confident Chili? ;P**

**~Jess~**


	8. Axew Goes Missing

**Hey guys. It's me again and here is the eighth chapter to "The Locket".**

**Hope you enjoy! But I'm slightly discouraged as the last time I updated, I didn't get ANY reviews. Not one. And it kind of stings. Not forcing you to review but something would be nice. I have afterall, put alot of work into this. Just saying. :)**

**So anyways, here is the eighth chapter!**

_Said impact sent a picture of their family plummeting to the uncovered wooden boards and against the floor, forever to be broken, a nail that was carelessly stuck out of the plank punctured the dark-skinned babies face with a piercing rip..._

"Wow, Cilan. What is all of this?" Iris breathed, staring down at the variation of dishes that sat steaming on the table.

"It's breakfast, of course!" Cilan explained happily, grinning excitedly.

"Well, it's nice but -"

"Come now Iris, we've already been through this. Money is not needed for me to take care of you." Cilan calmly interrupted, wagging his finger from side to side. A slight morning breeze blew gently, making his four spikes of upright hair blow slightly.

"No, no, it's not that!" Iris hurriedly said, her hands in front of her face in a defensive manner. "It's just that, and I appreciate all of this Cian - really, I do - , but I normally only eat fresh fruit." Iris timidly responded. Taking a moment to blink, Cilan smiled once again.

"No matter. That's the base of my meals anyway. Tell me Iris, when was the last time that you had a proper meal?" Cilan questioned with a grin. Pansage chirruped in question too, as the small pokemon imitated Cilan's facial expression perfectly.

"Umm... Last week?"

"Last week?" Cilan exclaimed, disbelief in his eyes as he peered down at her.

"Last week." She repeated in confirmation nodding her head once. "Is there something wrong with that?" She blinked back at his shocked eyes.

"...Well, yes actually. There is. Iris, you should be having _three _proper meals a day and yet you haven't had _one _for a _week_." Cilan clarifyed, the terror still evident on his face as he watched her expression carefully.

"...I'm supposed to have three?" Iris asked obliviously.

"Yes. You are." Cilan answered, somehwhat shakily. "Iris, what's going on?" He asked worriedly. A cheerful chirp of a nearby travelling Cottonee was completely out of place amongst the tense atmosphere that was begining to build between the two.

"What do you mean, Cilan?" Iris enquired uncertainly.

"I find it strange that you haven't eaten properly in a while, that's all. Is everything alright at home?" Cilan replied with a question, a skeptical countenance settling on his face.

_"No, it's not. I'm not even being fed Cilan. I steal food from the fridge and scraps beneath the kitchen table. My parents are generous though because they said that they weren't prepared to let me starve to death." _Was an answer that was formulating in her mind as she thought things through. But she couldn't bring herself to tell the green-haired Pokemon Connoisseur and instead stayed silent.

"Iris?" He promted. Swallowing her temporary confusion like a spoonful of medicine, she smirked and patted her chest with an enthusiastic nod.

"Of course things are ok at home! My parents aren't made of money, y'know. Sometimes it's good to live from the natural stuff!" She defended, a confident voice accompanying her statement.

"Of course, but still, are they that poor Iris?" Cilan pressed further, refusing to give in this time until he received an answer that satisfyed him.

"What was that about my family?" Iris snapped, glaring at him.

"No, no. I didn't mean it like that. More like I feel sorry for you. It must be as tough can be to provide for all of you. Look, forget I ever asked." Cilan quickly replied. Iris frowned, worried that he was upset with her. "Now, now Iris, don't look at me like that. Let's have some food, yes?" Cilan speedily added with a good-natured smile, which in turn, made Iris smile too. The two stood there for a moment, simply looking at each other with content smiles, until Iris blinked and span around, uncomfortable with his unwavering, kind-hearted stare.

"Yeah, let's." Iris commented, before she sat down on a chair and waited for Cilan to do the same. He did so a short second later. Then looking over the dishes, he selected one with a couple of raw fruits and casually passed it over to Iris with an inviting grin.

She accepted, beaming brightly, and began to nibble at a strawberry absentmindedly, thinking her runaway through. What about when Cilan got to her "Door" and discovered that she had been lying to him all this time? And what about when he left her, because he was so disgusted with her and her lies? But for now, she couldn't think about it. She refused to think about it. And she wouldn't think about it until she absolutely had to, she decided while she took another bite of the strawberry and swallowed it almost whole, causing her to cough a little.

"Are you alright?" Cilan asked hurriedly, racing to her side as he patted her back softly and rubbed soothingly. As her coughing grew worse, Cilan went to his end of the table, picked up his glass of water and hurriedly rushed back to her side. He carefully gripped her chin, tipped her head back slightly, and put the glass to her lips. Then, with a cautious flick of the wrist, he eased the water from the glass into her mouth and down her throat. Soon, the water was gone, a few drops the only thing that proved that water had once been in the cup.

She coughed for a while longer and then hiccuped instead, before she stopped all noises entirely and just blinked, a transfixed stare looking straight ahead of her, as if she couldn't see Cilan. As if she couldn't see anything.

"Thank you." She said bluntly, still staring straight ahead.

"Hey, hey. Iris?" Cilan tried easing her out of her stone-set state, only to rewarded with a booming silence.

"You're shocked..." Cilan mumbled, more to himself than to the dark-skinned female occupant sat blankly in front of him. "Pansage!"

"Pan Pansage~?" Pansage questioned, running straight to his trainer with loyalty spilling from his eager steps.

"Pansage, you still have that pure water that I gave to you to use as your battle item, right?" Cilan worriedly asked. When he turned back to Iris, he saw that Axew was perched on her knee's, tapping the side of her face gently with his finger-like claws, quietly reciting his name under his breath.

"Pansage!~" The small grass monkey cried, pulling out a small pouch from his foliage that sat atop his furry head.

"Great Pansage, now pass it here please!"Cilan urged happily, glad that he had thought of the idea. He undid the cap of the small, gray container and tipped some water onto his hand, before he flicked some water into her unblinking eyes and held his breath.

"H-Hey, what the -?" Iris spluttered, blinking rapidly. Then averting her eyes to look at Cilan in his, she glared.

"Hey!" She snapped, and in one swift motion, grabbed the water from him and dunked it over his head. After a moment of tense anger from Iris and a dumbfounded expression from Cilan, Cilan began to chuckle.

"You're back then!" He grinned and blew a droplet that was hanging limply from his nose. Iris laughed at him for a couple of seconds and then immediately went quiet, seemingly afraid of something. Cilan ignored her and laughed loudly, clutching his stomach as he did. Iris chortled to herself, before letting go and laughing heartily along with him. When the pair's laughter died down, they looked at each other. Iris then began laughing again upon looking him in the eyes.

"What are you laughing at?" He said playfully, poking her in the stomach, in which made her momentairaly pull from his grip with a final giggle.

"Y-Your hair!" She spluttered through fits of giggles, her Axew copying her from her knee's. Cilan peeped upwards and then saw what was so amusing to her. His once upright spikes of hair now lay flat, the ends only curling up ever so slightly. He closed his eyes and chuckled.

"Alright, alright, you've had your fun." He joked, standing up and putting a hand up to his head to begin straightening his flicks of green. Iris imitated him and got to her feet and then took a step towards him, reaching out a fragile hand and brushing his hair with her fingertips. He stopped what he was doing and peered at her curiously, a semi-confused countenance taking it's place on his pale face.

Gracefully picking up a strand of green hair, she stood it up and grinned, holding it in place. He did the same on the one furthest from the hair that she had chosen, his hand gently skimming hers as they both stood there, keeping the spikes from drooping back down again. It was quite a funny sight really; two people standing in the middle of some field, both holding a hand to the males head as they tried to get his hair to stand on end. Really quite amusing!

Gingerly taking her hand away, Iris cleared her throat and turned away from him, only glancing back to see that the strand of green that she been paying so much attention to was now stood up, though it was still slightly weighed down by small drops of leftover liquid.

"We should probably get back on the road." She muttered, in which Cilan readily nodded to.

"But what about the food?" He enquired, looking over at the still covered table.

"Really? After laughing that much, I can't even look at food for a while!" She retorted quickly, her answer already formed in her mind as she knew that that question would be the next to pass his lips.

"But then what will we do with it?" He continued to ask, as he fiddled with the other two hairs that had yet to stand tall atop his green head.

She shurgged. "Eh, leave it for the homeless? Or the bird pokemon? I'm sure they'll love it!" Iris dismissed the question, though the first part of her answer was somewhat true. Whenever she was kicked out of the house by her father when it was his turn to look after her and he simply couldn't be bothered, she wouldn't half mind such a meal to be just left around like that!

Cilan, at first seemed not so big on Iris' idea, but eventually closed his bright green eyes, smiled and nodded once. "Then let's go."

Iris and Cilan then began to put the dishes on the floor, plates and all! After folding up the table, Cilan slung his bag over his shoulder and patted the earth below him with his hands, as if straightening it out from where the pair had been standing.

"Bon appetite..." Cilan mumbled to no one in particular, before he turned and walked after Iris, who had already begun to gain her distance.

_Wishfulshipping! ************* Wishfulshipping! ************* Wishfulshipping!_

_Father's P.O.V_

_"And what does she look like?"_

_"Brown skinned, purple haired - kinda bunchy pigtails with a long bit coming down her back - Uh, carries this lizard thing around with her and she's wearing a yellow-ish shirt with a pink bow and white leggings. Pink shoes too, with a white bottom. Brown eyes aswell, while I'm thinking about it." I babbled quickly. This, is not how I wanted to spend __my __Saturday; looking for this kid who doesn't even respect anything that me and her mother do for her. We've worked hard to provide for her and yet she turns around and runs away. This is just great! I'll be the one doing most of the work, seen as though Carrie doesn't really do anything anymore other than housework._

_Suddenly, in she came rushing towards me._

_"Did you give them the details? Everything?" She snapped through gritted teeth. Boy, is she angry about that kid stealing her locket. Kid's gonna be in a lot of trouble when we find her and bring her back. Truth be told, I'm not all that fussed about her leaving. I haven't had to have any responsibility for awhile now and it's reminding me of how it was before we even had kids. Yes we've only had the one, but now I realise that it was a mistake. That I didn't actually want one. Heck, she can stay lost for all I care!_

_"Yes Carrie, I told them everything. Now please stop wittering." I sighed, annoyed by her sudden worry. It's not like she's ever been worried about the kid before. But maybe it wasn't the kid that she was worried about, but her locket. Yes, that must be it. She's never been this stressed before!_

_"I want her found John. __Found__!" She snarled, poking me hard in the chest as she did so._

_"And we will find her. Now c'mon, we're not finding her simply stood around here, are we?" I reasoned. I'm oh-so good at reasoning; it's not all that hard to do because I know my family down to their very cores. Carrie and the kid alike._

_I picked up my coat and threw Carrie hers before I offered her my arm and pulled her from the room and out into the open air._

_The chase has now, began..._

_Wishfulshipping****************** Wishfulshipping********************** Wishfulshipping***_

_(Third person P.O.V)_

"And that's why I want to be an S-class Connoisseur!" Cilan exclaimed, expressing his glee by throwing his arms over his head, a happy smile carved into his face. Then lowering his arms, and catching up with Iris, he petted her Axew secretly and then jumped into a conversation with her.

"So what do you want to do, Iris?" He questioned, beaming down at her as she smiled up at him. Then, her smile vanished and she looked down towards the ground. _"To be a normal, every-day kid."_

"I'm not sure." She squeaked meekly, looking down at the dirt track that they were travelling along.

"Nothing at all?" Cilan enquired, raising an eyebrow slowly. "I find that hard to believe, Iris. You're very creative. Like a perfectionist's masterpiece, you're one of a kind! You must want to do something."

"Well, I wouldn't mind being the world's next Dragon Master." Iris admitted sheepishly, a small blush coming up onto her face. She felt immature to have such thoughts. It could not and would not ever happen and yet, here she was thinking about it. With Cilan too. She frowned and scolded herself.

_"Just move!"_

_"But what if I don't make it?"_

_"Just trust me!"_

Iris shook her head, trying to rid herself of the invasive memories, a frown on her pressed-together lips. Why did these sections of Iris' dreams keep on coming up? And it was only certain sentences and actions that were seemingly linked to whatever she had dremt about. A simple flick of the wrist could mean alot to her, because the very same action would have been performed in her last-minute thinking and she would recognixe it instantly. It was like having an awfully great sense of deja vu and Iris wasn't that fond of her extroirdainary memory and her abiltity to link things together, like stray pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

"Iris?"

"Yeah, Cilan?" She quizzed, though she didn't look up at him.

"I said, if not ambitions, then what about beliefs? Do you believe in anything? Have a faith in something?" The Pokemon Connoisseur repeated himself, a friendly expression settling on his face as he prepared himself to listen.

"Well, yeah, but you'll think it's childish..." She mumbled, peeping down at the ground and kicking a stone across the dirt, sending it flying into the lucious green grass. It reminded her of Cilan's hair from this morning and she immediately tore her gaze away from it.

"No Iris, your thoughts are actually valued. Cherished in my mind, that is. Now come on. Tell me!" Cilan pleaded with a grin, though a meaningful flicker resided in his eyes as he did.

Smiling to herself, she turned her head and looked to her right for a minute, before she rolled her eyes with a grin and turned to face Cilan as the pair continued walking. Axew jumped from her hair and decided to walk alongside her instead, trying to stretch his stuck-like-cement- legs.

"I like to think that things such as ghosts and spirits exist. Also, happenings like,uh, people getting possesed and all of that stuff. I don't know, it just interests me." Iris sighed truthfully, telling Cilan the secret that no one else knew about her. She had originally intended to keep it that way. She had meant to still be cold towards Cilan because then maybe he would go away and she could just turn around and go into the woods and live amongst the wild pokemon, up in the trees and living off of berries. That would have been her ideal enviroment now that she thought about it.

"Hmm, so you like the ghostly aspect of things?" Cilan interpreted, more to himself than to Iris. Then turning to her with a somewhat apoligetic smile, he shrugged and said:

"Can't say I'm the firmest believer."

Iris had been expecting this however, but she had also expected him to actually laugh at her and call her childish. But it hadn't happened. It was at that moment that Iris realised that she was really quite fond of Cilan and couldn't understand why, at first, she had been so downright horrible to this kind and compassionate gentleman.

"I kind of already figured that you'd say that." Iris giggled bashfully, rubbing the top of her head, but felt minorly shocked when she didn't feel Axew in his normal position. She stopped walking, (which caused Cilan to stop too as he threw her a curious look,) and began to feel around her purple bangs. Panic began to settle in her stomach as her breathing grew quicker and more frantic and when she had checked everywhere that was available, she turned to Cilan with a face full of anguish and whispered:

"Where's Axew...?"

"..."

Wishfulshipping******************* Wishfullshipping******************* Wishfulshipping****

**Done and done! Phew, a bit of a longer chapter seen as though I updated later than I originally planned to! ^^; I tried to include a bit of first person, but I probably failed miserabely! .**

**Also, next chapter has an OC in it, but she is NOT permanent! I repeat, NOT PERMANENT! Ok, now that that's clear, I just want to say that she will not make the plot stray. Please don't prejudge the upcoming chapter because there is an OC in it, because she is only here for one chapter and I can't have Iris do what I wanted her to do because in this story her only pokemon is Axew and Axew, as you can see, has gone missing! So that's why I must include her, otherwise, the story will not move on the way I planned, and it will drag on for much longer than it needs to. Hopefully you understand! :)**

**I apoligize for any mistakes though I have checked it through. TWICE! :)**

**So anyways, thanks to anyone who reviews, and remember that no matter what a review contains, I'll accept it no matter what! (Unless of course it's a flame. Then I'll burn your ass right back! :D)**

**~Jess~**

**P.S: I had to do the Wishulfhispping break things because my line divider isn't working! Just in case you didn't understand it! **


	9. Ruby See, Ruby Do

**Hey guys, it's me! Umm, yeah, I kinda took a break form this story because of Wishfulshipping day which was yesterday (1st August) and wrote "Thunderstorm" instead. It's just a one shot but it is Wishfulshipping. So anyways, that's why I didn't update yesterday and which is also why I'm doing it today.**

**So enjoy! (We all know about the line dividers from last chapter, right?)**

**~Jess~**

**P.S: Would just like to remind you about the OC. She's not overly important, but just try to enjoy the chapter, no matter how much you resent OC's (or not). Thanks! :) And I actually hope you like her because I have something planned for her, though not in this story... ;D**

_"Where's Axew...?"_

_"..."_

_Wishfulshipping*******************Wishfulshipping************************_

Iris' breathing increased considerabely and her eyes projected, not just fright, but a hint of desperation and urgency to find her beloved partner.

"He was here just a second ago." Cilan muttered, peering at roughly where Axew was when he was plodding along behind them.

"Well don't just stand there looking dumb. Help me look for him!" Iris snapped, but she instantly looked at the floor and kicked some dirt in a forgetful manner. "Sorry... I just, need to find him." She breathed out, still staring at the cold, dusty dirt track. She felt the seconds tick by restlessly which made her panic even more.

"It's alright Iris. In fact, I expected no less from you. You have every right to be worried about Axew." Cilan smiled kindly, brushing off her rude comment that had been made just previous to his compassionate reasoning.

"Well thanks Cilan, but standing here talking isn't exactly finding Axew." Iris trailed bashfully, trying to crack a small smile and failing miserabley.

"Right. Let's find him!" Cilan stated and the pair nodded at each toher before turning around and running the way that they had just came. Dust kicked up and attached itself onto their clothing but Iris kept running, ignoring both the growing mounts of dust on her leggings and the disapproving yelps of Cilan as he tried to brush himself off whilst on the move.

"Axew!" Iris shouted, cupping her mouth with a dark hand, silently praying that the Spirits would pity her and just make her missing pokemon walk out of some bush with a couple of apples or to just randomly fallf rom the sky and drop into her more than ready hands. Or Cilans not-so-ready head. She snickered snidely to herself before she regained her concentration and accelerated hurriedly.

"Iris, you shouldn't run that fast!" Cilan yelled after her, his Pansage clinging weakly to his black vest as the Connoisseur forced himself onwards after the young girl ahead of him.

"Wha'?" She retorted loudly, not turning her head as she refused to divert her eyes from the road unless absolutely necessary. She noted a brief tingle in her leg as she contuned to dash forwards.

"Your leg!" Cilan screamed after her, waving his pale hands at her frantically. Pansage mimicked from over his shoulder.

"What about it?" She heaved, but no sooner had she said it did she find herself tumbling over, her head hitting a metaphorically lost stone pillar.

"Shoot!" Iris yelled into the sky, not even sure of what hurt the most; her leg or her head, before she felt the urge to grip her leg intensify to the point of complying meekly. Breathing shallowly, she tried her best to, as parents say, "rub it better" and then stand up again, but couldn't find the strength, her body exhausted from running so fast before. She sat there feeling both sorry for herself and humiliated at her childish tripping over.

"Iris!" Cilan cried as he reached her side, immediately kneeling down to her level and throwing his bag beside him, rooting through it for something to help the situation.

"I'm fine." Iris grunted, clinging to her leg, but her grimacing face was enough to make her statement unconvincing.

"No, Iris. I won't allow you to carry on with - with... That!" Cilan exclaimed, gesturing to her leg that was throbbing, even from underneath of the bandage that was already applied.

"What are you? My dad?" Iris seethed, glaring up at the trembling waiter, not thinking about her word choice at all.

"No Iris. I'm your friend and friends look out for each other!" He replied, the fright in his voice evident as he fumbled clumsily with his bags various buttons and compartments. Iris blinked. He saw her as his friend? When did this appear? And when did it form? Oh this was not what she wanted! But as much as it ached to say - or think for that matter - she had noted her growing fondness of Cilan, his what weird tendancies somehow latching themselves onto her and allowing her to tolerate them better. She even thought about life without them; not very fun at all. Friendship... Maybe?

"Hey there! Are you alright?" A femenine voice called. Cilan whipped his head in the direction of the voice and met eyes with dark blue ones that seemed to glint mischeviously at him through her thick, red hair. A blue bandana with an orange pattern on it sat atop her head and her shirt corresponded to her hats colours with a simple yet interesting circle. Her legs were covered with three quarter leggings, though hers were looser than Iris', the final section of her leg poking out from the baggy clothing. Just looking at her, he could tell that she was out on her own pokemon journey; a trusty companion, Snivy, perched on her head as she progressed towards the pair.

Skidding to a halt, at Cilan's feet, she then put her hands on her knees and started to wheeze dramatically.

"I - I saw you two here and thought that, well, y-you looked like you needed some help."

Cilan peered curiously at her as he watched her breathe deeply, before she messily composed herself and stood upright.

"I'm fine, but my friend here is in need of some sort of medical attention." Cilan calmly responded, though his head was ablaze with whirring thoughts and impulsive actions. He even fooled himself when he heard his coping tone!

"Wow, polite aren't you?" The voice chided.

"Snivy~" Her partner agreed with her, closing it's eyes and pointing it's sharp snout in the air, letting a nod be seen by the new occupants.

"Forgive me, but right now, that's not that point." Cilan tried to be patient, but he could feel his capabilities slipping from the inside of his serene mind.

"No, no!" Iris suddenly interrupted the two who seemed to be forgetting why they had even stopped in the first place. "He's just paranoid, aren't you Cilan?" Iris grumbled, using his sleeve to heave herself up from the floor with nothing more than a wince, her elbow poking him harshly in the side as she nudged him expectantly.

"So you're Cilan. And you're Iris, right?" The peculiar girl mumbled, although it seemed to be more to herself than to the other two people who standing opposite her. In fact, she didn't seem to have even achknowledged Iris' "reasoning" as she carried on adding up the names and figuring things out amongst her own initiatives.

"Well yes but -" Cilan began, trying his best to remain gentlemanly though he could feel his patience dwindling away pathetically.

"-_But_, my pokemon has gone missing!" Iris interrupted, shoving the Connoisseur backwards slightly as she took the conversation into her own hands.

"Missing? Oh no! Say, if you'd let us, me and Jaden here would be more than willing to help you find it!" She replied enthusiastically. "I'm Ruby by the way." She added sheepishly.

"Oh yes please. We could use all the help that we can get!" Iris answered graciously, cutting off Cilan who was still trying to get a word in edgeways. "And, uh, nice to meet you Ruby..." Iris added hesitantly. Cilan could see that Iris was debaiting in her mind how far that she could trust this Ruby.

"Great! So what pokemon is it?"

"An Axew." Cilan finally interjected, grabbing the oppurtunity to speak like an antidote for a malicious poison that was coursing through his veins.

"Aww, I've always wanted one!" Ruby gushed with bright, ecstatic eyes. "Now come on and lets find the little thing!"

Cilan and Iris looked at each other, shrugged and followed after the sprinting female, although Cilan asked her about her leg, which she replied to with a dismissive swipe of the hand.

As the trio reached the all too familiar field (familiar to Cilan and Iris at least.), Cilan noticed something flicker in the bright sunlight.

"Over there!" He signalled to the others and they rushed to his side, curious to see what he had found. In the palm of his hand, laid a shiny scale-like object.

"A dragon scale!" Iris cried.

"Yes... So?" Ruby questioned, a trace of annoyance in her tone.

"_So, _that means that Axew's been here. This is so clearly Axew's scale!" Iris rushed through her sentence before snatching the scale out of Cilan's hand and sniffing it and then rubbing it intensely, the thin yet sturdy material releasing a layer of dust as she continued to rub it ferociously.

"Pfft, I knew that..." Ruby trailed, looking down at the floor sheepishly. "So then Axew went that way then?" She asked, pointing to her left and towards the opening of a dense looking forest. The trees swayed from side to side, daring the group to just try and conquer their land by getting through. Cilan and Iris glanced at each other, as if looking for approval from each other and Ruby gulped to herself.

"We're going in there aren't we?" Ruby asked with a smug smile on her face.

"Yes!" "No!" Cilan and Iris exclaimed at the same time. They both turned to each other and looked at the other as if they were mentally deranged.

"Axew could be in there and you're saying that we shouldn't go?" Iris demanded angrily.

"Well, you don't know what's in there! A foul aroma exists around this forest , I'm telling you!" Cilan tried to reason with the angry female in front of him. Ruby blinked, confused by Cilans eccentric wording.

"Ruby, tell him we're going!" Iris screeched, jabbing an enraged finger in Ruby's face, which she stared at cluelessly.

"Technically, I can't -"

"NOW!" Iris interrupted loudly, throwing her finger across her body and pointing at Cilan instead, her eyes narrowing at Ruby. She swallowed thickly and then turned to Cilan.

"Cilan, we're going..." She meekly told the Connoisseur.

"Like I said, you don't know what's in there!" He repeated, turning his body to face Ruby properly.

"Trees." Ruby deadpanned with a flat expression. "So, let's go then?" Turning to Iris with a shakey smile.

"Yes, let's!" She happily retorted, her anger disappearing momentairaly.

And so the girl duo walked on, leaving the dumbstruck Cilan behind, until he blinked rapidly and then ran to catch up. "Hey, wait!" He called after them

"Sni..." Jaden chirped from his partners shoulder, moving to sit on top of Ruby's head instead as he spectated the forest's trees in the discreet wind.

"What's up Jaden?" Ruby asked, trying to see past her bandana and look up at her curious pokemon.

"Snivy~" He breathed out and closed his sharp, red eyes, sighing deeply in thought. Deciding to just ignore him, Ruby nodded and reached a hand up to pet him fondly and Jaden cooed quietly in appreciation.

"Pansage?" Cilan enquied as he felt his little grass monkey jump form his shoulder and run ahead of him to join Iris up at the front of the group. Cilan smiled and closed his eyes gently; even Pansage was begining to get attached to Iris and the green haired waiter couldn't deny his compassionate feelings towards her. He knew he liked her and he had tryed his best to be good to her. Just like a friend should be. His absolute best and yet, she had seemed so much more friendly with Ruby than him and he couldn't help but feel slightly irked because of it. It annoyed him and he frowned to himself as he walked forwards and after the group, his body trailing at the back of the two energetic girls who were talking amongst themselves about the quickest way to find Axew and what routes they should take, Ruby claiming to have "been here only a million times!".

Suddenly, Jaden jumped from Ruby's head and ran ahead of the group, his unusually large tail dragging behind him. He picked something up in his three jaggard fingers, sniffed it thoroughly and then ran back to Ruby, snaking his way up her back to get back to his perch on her shoulder.

"What'cha got there, buddy?" She cooed, stroking his head and then taking the item from him. "It's a feather." She bluntly remarked, turning it in her hands and examining it with little interest.

"Hey Ruby. Can you pass that here please?" Cilan asked politely with a warm smile, his arm already outstretched somewhat expectantly.

"Uh, sure thing Cilan." Ruby complied uncertainly, an eyebrow arched in curiosity, as she didn't know why he would be so keen to look at a feather. She placed the feather in his hands and then backed off when she noticed Iris looking between them strangely.

"That's a Mandibuzz feather." He said surely after little inspection. Taking the time to touch the indivdual lines, he made silent comments in his mind on what this Mandibuzz was doing, where she was going and where she had been. All that he could tell from a single feather!

"So what have you found out Cilan? Anything? Nothing?" Iris urged, grabbing the cuff of his shirt as she peered up at him desperately, almost begging him to say something positive.

"I have found that since the dragon scale was not far from the feather, Axew was -"

"Axew!" A shrill cry came from deeper in the eerie forest.

"Axew!" Iris cried dramatically, immediately spinning on her heel and heading towards the voice. However, she froze when she felt Cilan grab her hand and Ruby grab the end of her sleeve.

"Iris, it's too dangerous. If my conclusion is correct, that Mandibuzz will hurt you! It will think you're trying to steal what's hers!" Cilan explained hurriedly, looking Iris over with sincere eyes.

"What do you mean, "steal what's hers"?" Iris asked although deep inside her mind, she knew what Cilan was going to say. She knew that Mandibuzz had taken Axew and she knew that they had little time to get to Axew. She was simply trying to avoid the terrifying truth, but finally understanding that she could no longer evade it, she poised the question, praying one last time for a miracle.

"Mandibuzz abducted Axew because of it's dragon scales. Mandibuzz is not strictly addicted to shiny objects, but likes to own them because it gives them a sense of pride when other Mandibuzz come to try and compete with their nest." Cilan informed knowledgabley. Iris struggled in his grip and tryed to pry herself free but to no avail.

"Please Cilan..." She whimpered, looking down at the floor pityfully. "Let me go."

Upon hearing Iris' desperate voice, Cilan faltered briefly, but still stood his ground firmly.

"Iris, it's too dangerous." He murmured, feeling awful that he could do little to help the distraught wild-child.

"No!" She snapped, violently swinging her arm and sending Cilan lurching towards the floor as he stumbled to keep his balance. He let go of her as he extended his arms to keep himself from falling over, but no sooner had he done so he made a frenzical grab for Iris, only to dicover that she was faster than he thought she was.

"Iris!" He shouted after her, but the dark-skinned female had no intention of stopping. "Oh... What have I done...?" Cilan whispered to himself, combing his hands through his hair and staring down at the floor, only to look up when he felt a timid tap on his shoulder.

"Cilan, the best thing to do is follow her. She's not going to wait for you afterall; I may not have known her for as long as you, but I do know that she's a girl who knows what she wants. Take it from me." The red-head tried to explain, gesturing to herself as she neared the end of her sentence. "And nothing will happen to her. Cilan, just because Axew is missing doesn't mean that we don't have pokemon." Ruby reasoned and then turned around and broke out into a sprint in the direction that Iris had gone.

Cilan thought to himself:

_"What should I do? I know it's dangerous and we shouldn't go. I know what Mandibuzz is capable of and I'm also aware that they get violent easily and that -" _He pondered but suddenly ceased thinking altogether. He _knew _that it was dangerous and yet, here he was, debating whether he should go when the lady that he was supposed to protect had gone.

"I'm coming Iris!" Cilan shouted after her although he knew that she wouldn't hear him. Straight after, he grabbed Pansage's poke-ball and returned him, pocketed the ball and broke out into the fastest sprint that he had ever performed in his life. He moved as fast as his lanky legs would allow him to, despite him stumbling on various occasions. He saw something move in the bush ahead of him and assumed it was Ruby, who had not set off long before him and so he followed the movement blindly, moving branches to the side as he sprinted through the dense forest.

He heard cries, and knowing that they belonged to Axew, ran swiftly in that direction, his body only accelearting which at first he would have said was impossible. He had had no idea that he could run like this! But he was runing like this and that's what mattered. He narrowed his eyes in concentration and pushed himself forwards, his feet barely hitting the floor as he progressed speedily, dodging through trees and bushes only to come into a clearing. Although the clearing wasn't clear...

"Jaden, deflect it with leaf blade!" He heard Ruby cry and he saw Iris stood on a branch, rushing to tie some sort of vine around the thick, wooden branch. The little Snivy did so, although he already looked exhausted already, a noticable sweatdrop hanging limply on his head as he struggled to keep up his swift performance.

The Mandibuzz screeched, angered that her attack could be deflected at all and unleashed a furious dark pulse towards the heaving Snivy.

"Pansage!" Cilan shouted, releasing his monkey and preparing himself for a battle, not even having the time to spin and do his normal graceful entrance. "Use bullet seed, now!" He ordered hurriedly.

"Sage!" Pansage cried, spitting hard seeds at the dark pulse and making it swerve off of it's path towards Jaden. Cilan then took it upon himself to join Ruby up in front of the angry Mandibuzz and eased Pansage there too, who seemed slightly afriad to battle such a strong opponent. From where he was standing, he could see Axew quivering behind Mandibuzz, the small dragon-like creature curled in in a frightened ball, something that looked like a paper clutched firmly in his claws.

"Give this to Jaden." Cilan said, pulling out an oran berry from the front pouch in his bag and Ruby did without much hesitation. Jaden ate the berry quickly and instantly looked stronger which caused Cilan to crack a smile.

"Thanks." Ruby smiled.

"Don't thank me yet." Cilan stuttered, when he saw yet another powerful dark pulse head towards them.

"Pansage, use dig! Take Snivy with you!" Cilan commanded quickly, his mind already thinking out possible stratergies and battle techniques.

The monkey did as it was told, dragging Snivy down with him. The Mandibuzz looked around frantically as she searched for the missing opponents.

"Ruby, does Jaden have vine whip?"

"Sure does."

"Tie up Mandibuzz's legs whilst Pansage charges up a solarbeam." Cilan whispered to her, less the Mandibuzz was to hear.

"Gotcha." Ruby confirmed, nodding her head in understanding.

"Alright Pansage, come up and use bullet seed, once more!" Cilan shouted to his pokemon and Pansage did, dealing minor damage to the bird type pokemon. Mandibuzz spread it's large wings and flew out of the way before Pansage's attack could finish and took off into a fly.

"Pansage, charge up a solarbeam." Cilan told his pokemon calmly and Pansage complied with a determined nod. A glowing light began to fizz around his foliage-covered headas he prepared himself to use the move that his trainer had requested.

"Jaden, keep Mandibuzz busy by firing energy balls at it!" Ruby ordered and Jaden jumped up as high as it could, before throwing a small sized ball at the flying pokemon. It hit, but it didn't look as if much damage was done.

"That'll do. For now, just have Jaden keep using energy ball. It should distract Mandibuzz because they're somewhat shiny. And I also find it strange that it hasn't come down yet." Cilan breathed, looking skywards, only to see a strong-looking ariel ace heading straight for his Pansage.

"Pansage!" Cilan exclaimed worriedly.

"I don't think so!" Iris suddenly shouted out, before she swung from the vine that she had been tying and delivered a harsh kick right in the advancing birds face. As she carried on swinging downwards, she expertedly stretched an arm out and grabbed Axew's spike atop his head, pulling him to safety with her.

"Oh Axew, I'm so glad! I was so worried about you! I'm so sorry, I won't let it happen ever again!" Iris cried, tears forming in her eyes as she apoligized to her most trusty companion with a loving hug.

"Axew!" The dragon-type pokemon replied, reaching it's small arms up and wiping her tears away to the best of it's little ability.

Meanwhile, Cilan and Ruby were struggling to fend off the enraged pokemon that was firing continuous attacks at them.

"Ready, Ruby?" Cilan questioned, his eyes glistening with determination.

"Ready when you are Cilan." She confirmed with a nod.

"Then lets go. Pansage, is solarbeam ready?"

"Pansage!" The monkey jumped as if to say "All set and ready to go!"

"Great. Now Ruby, you know what you have to do."

"Alright, Jaden use vine whip! Aim for Mandibuzz's feet!" Ruby commanded with a confident grin. Jaden nodded it's head and closed it's eyes, summoning vines deep from the flicks that were around his neck. They came out, long and winding, ready to perform what Ruby had just told him to do.

"Do it!" She shouted and Jaden jumped up, preparing himself. The vines shot out and wrapped themselves around Mandibuzz's steel talons, pulling her to the floor and she writhed desperately to get away from the Snivy's inseasant grip.

"Pansage! Solarbeam!" Cilan yelled, throwing a dramatic point sideways. Pansage complied and fired as strong as he could. The unmistakable beam of pure energy shot towards the secured Mandibuzz and the three watched; Ruby holding Jaden steady as he held the struggling pokemon down, Cilan as he watched his Pansage's power well up and burst out into that one attack and Iris from her position in the tree, her eyes narrowed dangerously low so that they were only thin slits, an evil smile smeared across her face as she waited for the attack to make impact.

And make impact it did!

The Mandibuzz screamed in pain and finally got out of Jaden's vice-like grip, before it flapped it's wings and retreated, it's charred feathers flowing behind it as it departed from the battle scene. Pansage collapsed onto it's rear in exhaustion, his fuzzy chest heaving as he tried to breathe steadily.

"Oh Pansage!" Cilan cried happily, running straight for him. Trapping the pokemon in a meaningful hug, Pansage nuzzled his neck lovingly in return, purring slightly.

"That power was amazing Pansage. I knew that you'd come through! I knew you would!" Cilan smiled, stroking his Pansage's head tenderly, not even having the energy to use his "Connoisseur speak". Pansage closed it's eyes and immediatley feel asleep and Cilan returned him, thanking him one final time before he put the pokeball in his pocket and walked over to Axew and Iris, who were embracing each other quietly in the corner of the clearing.

"Jaden, you were brilliant as always! Thank you so much!" Ruby beamed at her pokemon, passionate tears brimming in her eyes. Holding her trusty pokemon tightly to her, Snivy nudged against her chin gently.

"And Iris." Cilan began, before he weakly coated her in a hug. "Please, don't ever run off like that again. You- You had me so worried about you." He breathed unsteadily, holding her close to him, despite the fact that she remained stiff in his arms. Axew, feeling left out, jumped from Iris' hair and wriggled his way inbetween the Connoisseur and the Wild-Child, nudging both of them lovingly. Iris' arms snaked out of Cilans tight embrace and snaked their way around Cilan, holding the Axew close to both of them as she took a step forwards. Axew looked happy from all the attention on both sides and tried his best to nuzzle both of them from the middle of the big cuddle, though he was failing to give them equal affection.

"I'm sorry Cilan. And thank you. You fought for Axew. You fought hard. I- I'm so grateful." She hiccuped through tears.

"Shh, don't cry. Everything's alright now. Axew's safe, you're safe, I'm safe and Ruby's safe too. So it's all well and good now." Cilan whispered soothingly, toying with a spike on her outright pigtail.

"Heh, you two should totally date!" Ruby cheered with a giggle. The two instantly pulled away from each other and blushed madly, though Cilan's was much less than Iris'.

"We're just friends." Cilan smiled sheepishly at Ruby.

"Pfft, anyone can see that you like her!" She continued to tease, sticking her tounge out playfully at him. "Anyways, I'm glad you got your Axew back Iris. Try to hang onto him, yes?" She mocked jokingly, winking at her. Iris laughed and nodded.

"Sure will!" She laughed again.

"And remember, next time you won't have little ol' me to help you, so you'd better watch out!" Axew, Cilan and Iris all shared glances with each other, smiled and began chuckling.

"You take care now Ruby!" Cilan smiled after her as she turned to walk away.

"Oh I don't need to take care when I have Jaden with me!" She giggled, her red hair flipping slightly as she turned energetically towards Cilan again. "And uh, we should totally battle soon. You look harder to beat than Cress was."

"So you challenged my Gym then?" He curiously voiced with a sincere smile.

"Sure did. And I earned myself a Trio badge." Ruby announced proudly. Then she suddenly looked bashful and added:

" The red-head's cute by the way, but you didn't hear it from me, ok?" She grinned and winked again, before she turned on her heel and walked away, Jaden hopping from her shoulder and throwing a lazy wave over his shoulder.

"Happy travels!" Cilan called after her, waving happily.

"And thanks for all the help!" Iris added with a grin.

"Axew, Axe!" The small pokemon voiced, waving his little arms minutely within Iris' tight grasp.

"So Iris, -" Cilan began.

"Lunch?" Iris quizzed with a mischevious smile.

"You took the words right out of my mouth..."

**DONE!**

**Geez, this was honestly a long chapter!**

**I apoligize for any mistakes and ugh, my battle scene, but please, review anyways. And the facts about Mandibuzz liking shiny things were made up! They're not true; I just needed a reason for Mandibuzz to have taken Axew in the first place, and don't worry. Mandibuzz taking Axew has something major to do with the plot. Remembe I mentioned the paper aorund his neck? Yeah, I'll leave you to think about it for a while... ;)**

**Gotta go because my fingers are aching! :'(**

**~Jess~**


	10. Guilty Conscience and Realised Feelings

**Hi guys, it's me, but of course you already knew that! I'm here with the next installment of "The Locket" and hopefully you'll be here to see this story through to the end? Anyways, enjoy!**

**Also, I'm going to be doing a little bit of a time jump by approximately one week. Hopefully, you understand when I say that it's to help the plot stay realistic. But don't worry, no fluff or anything happened on the days that I'm not going to talk about! ;D**

**A couple of Wishfulshippy moments in this chappie too! Enjoy!~**

**~Jess~**

**_Wishfulshipping_Wishfulshipping_**

_"You took the words right out of my mouth..."_

Wishfulshipping***** Wishfulshipping******************

Sadly, Iris had watched the week slip by, filled with nothing but smiles and pleasant, light-hearted conversation. They had fallen into a sort of routine and it was going to be hard when she had to leave him. Or when he left her. She couldn't deny the upcoming feeling of guilt that had been residing quietly in her stomach for some time now, simply feeding off of her insecurity and spectating her life as a lie, cruelly mocking her form behind closed doors. She knew it wouldn't be long now...

But one thought was currently plauging her mind amongst the thoughts of heartbreak and rejection from her only friend, and that was the note that had been attached to Axew's neck when she found him. She knew it was a note, because through the thin paper she could see a messy scrawl that seemed so familiar and yet, so unrecognisable. Cilan had promised her that he would get some sort of knife or a pair of scissors to cut it off, seen as though she was unable to pry it off with her nimble fingers. The funny thing was, that she somehow knew that Mandibuzz that had attacked them; she just couldn't seem to recall where from. And it was starting to irritate her!

"Iris, are you still thinking about that note around your Axew's neck?" Cilan asked quietly, keeping his voice reserved as they passed a couple pushing a baby along in a bright pink buggy. Iris envied the tiny baby in silence.

"It's a little hard not to, y'know?" She replied bashfully, rubbing the back of her neck with her dark fingers.

"Hmm, it's probably nothing to worry about. Maybe someone you don't know about wanted to get in touch with you?" Cilan helpfully suggested, though his guess came short when Iris shook her head violently.

"That's the thing Cilan. I know that I know that Mandibuzz that attacked us. I know that I've seen it, that particular one but I just can't remember where from." Iris frowned, her eyes closing as she thoguht things through to herself in silence.

"Are you sure? It seems slightly unbelievable that you would recognise that particular one when they all look pretty much identical." Cilan reasoned, looking at her with eyes of uncertainty.

"No, I'm sure!" Iris explained urgently, trying deperately to remember some decent information. "There's just something about it."

"Well alright then. We'll stop at the pokemon center tonight." Cilan suddenly stated with an oblivious smile. Iris blinked rapidly.

"W-We're here at Nacrene City already?" She cried, a disbelieving expression kicking it's way onto her face.

"Oh no!" Cilan laughed, drinking in her expression like a vinatge wine that required a thorough gulp. "There's a Poke-centre inbetween the route and the city. Convinient, yes?" Cilan questioned happily, not seeing the flicker of relief wash over Iris' face as he continued to babble absentmindedly.

"Yes. Very!" Iris giggled nervously. "Hey Cilan? When do we get to Nacrene City?"

"In a couple of days. Why?" He questioned with a smile.

_Because honestly Cilan, I don't want you to leave me just yet..._

"Uh, I just can't wait to see my parents." Iris lied, looking down at the floor with a guilty frown. The sun, although begining to set, was still burning her back as if punishing her for telling pointless fibs to her only friend. Friend. The word was strange in her mouth, even after a good four days of categorizing Cilan with it; the sound of the word was foreign and hearing the word only made her cringe. She found it hard trusting anyone and as far as she was concerned, having only herself to rely on was good enough for her.

"Funny, you don't really seem all that thrilled!" Cilan frowned, pulling at his collar a little bit.

"It's because I'm not..." Iris mumbled, her gaze still fixated on the dusty floor. Axew, sensing his trainers anxiety, nuzzled her neck lovingly, placing a friendly lick to her cheek. She smiled a bit but her eyebrows were still arched in an upset fashion as she reached to pet her Axew behind his tusk, his favourite place to be stroked.

"What was that Iris?" Cilan asked, his curious gaze making her feel peculiar and uneasy. He had the most beautiful eyes that she had ever seen... And as soon as that thought crossed her mind, her eyes widened and she swallowed thickly, mentally giving herself a good telling-off for thinking such trivial things when he would be gone in a couple of days. She would never see him again. And she realised that actually, the thought definitely wasn't as luxury as it had been once before.

"Nothing important." She answered dejectedly, refusing to meet his eyes with her own. She continued to eye the floor with a somewhat angry glare, until she felt something cool touch her cheek. And it wasn't Axew!

"Huh?" She asked, looking up and then regretting when she had. There not far from her face, was Cilan's, smiling down at her with an inviting aura about him. She could do nothing but stare at him, all words that she had wanted to say had vacated into the recesses of her mind, the places that she never thought about. Even in her darkest hours.

"You know Iris. We're friends. You can tell me anything you want to. Are you sure it wasn't important?" He asked kindly, stroking her face slightly in a comforting way. She closed her eyes and breathed deep, feeling unwanted memories slip into her mind. She couldn't even begin to explain her racing heart, although she knew in that instant that she felt something; something new and rather weird if she was to be completely honest, though the feeling was neither bad nor invasive, simply there.

"...No. I'm fine Cilan! Really!" She grinned a fake grin, but couldn't help but inwardly wince when she didn't feel his fingertips leave her face.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" He whispered to her, meeting her reluctant eye with his own soul-searching orbs.

"N-No of course not! D-Don't be silly Cilan!" She apprehensively chuckled, a nervous smile on her face. She noticed that he did not laugh along with her. She noticed that he didn't smile. Simply stared at her, inspecting her closely and it was begining to make Iris feel uncomfortable. He knew her better than that, she figured and cursed inside of her head at how stupid she was to have done that. She would rather live with the harsh, unforgiving lashes of her fathers "special" belt, than live with someone that knew you, inside and out. It frightened her and in turn she remained silent and still, not finding the energy, nor enough willpower to move.

He then nodded and pulled away from her, still frowning.

"Iris, are you alright?" He asked suddenly, catching her completely off guard. She thought he was through with his interrogation! Apparently not.

"I'm fine Cil-"

"I mean is there anything wrong at all? Drama? Family? _Home_?" He interrupted, though it was gentle and not seen as rude by her.

"Stop questioning me already! Besides, you already asked me about home before!" Iris protested. Why would he keep asking her things like this? It was irritating and made her stay on her toes the entire time that she was with him!

"Why? Is it because you're hiding something from me? Do you not want me to know something?" Cilan proceeded to ask, an inquistive expression lingering on his skeptical face as he did so.

"N-No! Look, lets just get to the Poke-Centre, ok?" She frantically enquired, glancing from left to right in a slightly untrustworthy manner. And with that, she stormed off ahead of the still curious Connoisseur, refusing to look back at him no matter how much he called and so he eventually settled to his own thoughts and the information that she had subconciously told him by refusing to tell him anything. Kind of contradictory really, but it supported his theory afterall.

It wasn't long after their "exchange" that they arrived at the Poke-Centre. The usual exterior of the building was stone and rubble, but this particular centre was built with strong, sturdy wood, giving the building a cabin-like feel. Friendly trees surrounded the perimiter, their leaves a bright shade of green in the late-evening sunlight.

"Wow..." Iris breathed, taking in the sight before her. Axew emerged from her hair and gawked at the magnificant scenery, the house-like building the main object of his current attention.

"Nice, isn't it?" Cilan quizzed happily. Iris only nodded. She didn't feel like talking to him right now. At all.

"Come on, I've been here before so I'm familiar with this particular Nurse Joy." Cilan beamed at her and tenderly took her wrist, leading her inside.

_"How can you be sure seen as they all look almost identical?" _Iris thought to herself with a snicker. Axew yawned and disappeared into her hair- probably to take a nap.

Cilan strode in confidently, Iris trailing weakly behind him. She had wanted to avoid public places at all costs because if anyone had any leads, she knew that her father would not hesitate to give amazing rewards for them. Although her family were struggling immensely, her grandmothers money had been passed down onto them, which was a good £1,000,00. **(1) **However, since her death, no one had had the heart to touch it because it was simply too painful to think that the last thing they had left of her other than her grave, which was a good two hours drive away, would disappear. They seemed to not understand, unlike Iris, that her grandmother gave them that money for a reason and that reason was not to remind them of her. She had wanted them to use it obviously, but more specifically, for Iris. Her grandmother had left a long list of things and whenever IRis as a child said that she wanted something and she had earned herself it, her grandmother would add it to the list and then try her hardest to get it for her. When she had succeeded in buying that particular item for her, she would cross it off of the list and add another in place of it. And not just for the luxuries; her grandmother had known how much stuggle her mother and father had gone through to provide Iris with the very basics (really, their pay was being spent at the pub and on pointless nights out when they would leave Iris alone overnight), nevermind the treats!

"Hello Nurse Joy." Cilan said with a wide grin as they reached the counter.

"Hello and welcome to - Cilan?" She immediately did a double take and then her eyes instantly lit up.

"I'm suprised you even remember me!" He exclaimed with a gleeful smile.

"How could I not remember you? Your work with my Audino saved her life, not to mention some of the other people's patients that were in dire situations! Of course I'd remember my pokemon's rescuer!" She retorted with a grin. "You've gotton taller too!" She added, tilting her head slightly to look up at him. Granted, he wasn't that much taller, but she did have a slight crane of the neck whenever she spoke to him. Iris glared to the side, feeling both left out and tired.

"And who's this? Oh my, you did well for yourself Cilan!" Nurse Joy chortled, her Audino coming to her side to see what was happening that she was missing. When she caught sight of Cilan, her eyes lit up immediately but she resisted the urge to waddle out and hug him.

"Oh no, you're quite mistaken. This is Iris; she's my friend and we're going to Nacrene City."

Iris resisted a facepalm, though the urge was strong. Why tell her that? Idiot!

"Still a gentleman aren't you? A real angel, you are." Joy smiled sincerely.

"I wouldn't put it like that." Cilan replied with a sheepish chuckle.

Iris rolled her eyes and yanked her hand out of Cilan's grip, moving to sit on the wooden floor with her back against the counter with a pout on her face. She couldn't help but feel abandoned, even though it was childish and pointless. Or maybe it wasn't even that she felt abandoned but... Jealous?

"Am I jealous?" She whispered to herself, watching Cilan and Nurse Joy still conversing eagerly. As soon as she asked the question to herself, she began to inwardly burst out in later at her terrible self-judgement.

"Of course I'm not jealous! Pfft, he can talk to whoever he wants for all I care because he sure as heck won't be talking to me in a couple of days!" She thought silently with a smirk, though she felt a pain in her chest as soon as she said it - especially like that, like she couldn't care less. She couldn't tell what on earth this feeling was. She knew that she'd never felt anything like it and she didn't know what she thought about it either. Did she like it? Did she maybe... Want to feel it more often? Or maybe it was just her being silly again, she didn't know. But she could feel something there, whatever it was.

"Oh, she's just tired is all." Cilan excused for her, glancing down at her with a quizzical expression before he averted his attention back to the nurse in front of him.

"So can me and my friend use one of the rooms here? Sleeping on the ground all the time isn't exactly brilliant for one's back." Cilan joked meekly, though his back really did hurt!

"Of course. No need to even ask! Do you want seperate rooms or-"

"No thanks." Iris interrupted bluntly.

"Well then, it's the one at the very end of the hall. If you go through this door here, you'll see what hall I'm talking about." Joy replied with that same old happy smile carved into her lips. Iris took off, leaving Cilan behind.

"Sorry, she's just so very tired because she's been on the move all day. She gets cranky." Cilan explained apoligetically, returning a wave from the giddy Audiono beside the pretty nurse. He took a key from her and gave his last set of thanks before he set off down the hall that Iris had just gone down.

He walked down the straight, simple hall and saw Iris sat grudgingly in front of the locked door. She peered up at him slightly, before setting her stone-hard gaze on the wooden planks of flooring again.

"Damn thing must be locked." Iris muttered angrily to herself, and Cilan rolled his eyes at her jokingly, his smile never leaving his face. But no matter how hard he tried to be happy with her, he still felt concerned. Why was she so defensive when it came to her personal life? At first he believed that he was just being overly protective or even slightly delusional, but today had confirmed in his mind that she was indeed, hiding something from him and he mentally braced himself for when he was to figure it out.

Pulling out the key, Iris groaned. "She gave you the key. Figures..." She commented, making a face and stalking into the room, not thanking Cilan for holding the door open for her, even after all this time. Instead, she stomped straight into the bathroom but before she shut the door, she said:

"I'm going for a shower." And with that, she slammed the door roughly, which caused Cilan to wince. Now that he thought about it, his pokemon could do with a rest too and so he jogged back down to the counter and handed the nurse his pokemon, jogged back up and then sat on the spacious bed. He quietly pondered about why Iris had said they would share a room when she knew that there would only be one bed. He sighed and closed his emerald eyes, placing a pale hand to his forhead as his head shook slowly form left to right. Looks like he was sleeping on the floor tonight.

He pulled out a sheet of lined paper and began to write, determined to keep his promise. **(2)**

_"Dear Chili and Cress, my beloved brothers..."_

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, the water had never felt so good as it trickled down Iris' bare skin. She rubbed ferociously at her body as she attempted to clean herself good enough to do her for a week or so. Being out on the move made it difficult to access even the general hygiene; showers were luxuries and everday washes were impossible unless she kept moving from Poke-Centre to Poke-Centre, which was also impossible because the cities were a good couple of weeks apart at least. But she had always been working up the courage to run away, even when her father had just kicked her out because he couldn't be bothered to look after and she had had to endure the pelting rain whilst running to the local river that ran through her town. She remembered when she would strip shamelessly and simply sit there, basking in the cool of the river water and those times when she just needed to feel clean and so she would go to the towns well and throw the cold water on her face. Standing in the shower right now, she felt the probably some of the best memories from her early childhood come flooding back to her and she smiled in a phase of contentment.

The steam was warm as it enveloped her body and she knew that this was when she thought to herself the best. She hummed an incoherent song, not even recalling where she had heard it from in the first place, whilst she scrubbed herself down with the sponge that the Poke-Centre had provided. What? Beggars can't be choosers. And it wasn't like she had her own anyways.

"I feel much better now. And much more clear-headed." Iris sighed with a dopey grin on her face as she turned the water off and shook herself free of the hanging drops that dribbled limply down her body. Then, taking a fluffy towel, she wrapped herself up in it and sighed another deep sigh. Dreams would be coming tonight. She could just feel it. And it was still as open to her as she could have ever imagined. Iris just couldn't, no matter how hard she tried to, understand her strange, unclarifyed dreams/ nightmares. She couldn't decide what they were in fact but all this thinking was begining to make the very familiar headache appear once again.

When she was dry, she slipped on the night clothes that Cilan had given her at the very start of their journey and felt the thin cotton press against her clean legs. Drying her hair for the final time, she folded the towel back up and prepared herself to take it back to Nurse Joy, who was forever behind the coutner. Iris could have sworn that she actually lived there!

Her bare feet hit the floor and Cilan seemed to look up at her as soon as she entered the room. He put down his pen and looked at her curiously.

"Better?" He phrased simply, a raise of the eyebrows accompanying his rather blunt question.

"Quite." She returned, still stubborn enough to not look at him. Clutching the towel tightly in her dark fingers, she made her way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Cilan asked, praying that she would look at him. He didn't exactly know why, but he wanted to see her eyes. Her face. Her dripping wet hair.

"To take this to Nurse Joy, ok?" She irately enquired. She then flung the door open and began to shut it, but was silenced by his familiar voice.

"Iris!"

She looked at him reluctantly and tilted her head in confusion when all he did was stare at her.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just wanted you to look at me." Cilan answered quietly, looking down at his paper and turning to face the small desk as he picked up his pen and began to write again. Iris blinked and then narrowed her eyes at him. "And Iris?"

"What now?" She groaned, throwing her head back as she turned to face him again.

"If you want me to, I'll take that for you." He answered with a sweet smile. That smile was so infuriating thought Iris and she stalked towards him, yanked him up by his collar (though not too hard as she always felt bad because that's what her father did to her) and shoved the towel in his hands. And all throughout her "assault", he continued to grin innocently. She screwed her eyes shut, placed her dozing Axew on the pillow, took Cilan by the shoulders and began to walk him to the door.

"Well go on then. That's the least you can do for me. Hey, maybe you can go flirt with your favourite nurse again!" Iris snapped bitterly, before she pushed him out of the room and closed the door in his face, non-too-gently. And Cilan blinked rapidly for a couple of seconds and then breathed out, managing a chuckle. He knew where this was going; she didn't like that all his attention wasn't on her. Well, when he got back, he would be sure to give her just what she wanted, all the attention she could ask for, but he realised that it would take a little bit of defiance on his part aswell. Promising himself that he wouldn't go too far, Cilan left down the hall with a smirk...

**Was going to finish here, but decided I loved you people and in turn, made this chapter even longer for you! :D (Although not much longer...!)**

"Oh hello Cilan." Nurse Joy smiled a sweet, angelic smile. "Is your room ok? And your Pansage is fully restored now so you can have him back now." She questioned.

"Oh yes, it's fine! Iris likes the bathroom." He grinned with a wink. Then taking back Pansage, he thanked her and then handed her the wet towel.

"Iris wanted to return this but she decided she was too tired so I came here and did it for her." Cilan replied with a serene smile.

"Well thank you. I best not keep Iris waiting for you, so I'll let you get on your way now." She teased with a wink. He smiled and bowed, before departing down the long hall and stopping at the wooden door, listening for any noises.

When he heard nothing, he entered to find Iris hanging off of the bed upside-down, her hands on the floor and her shirt riding up her stomach, her long, drying hair draped along the floor as she peeked up at him form her position.

"I got bored..." She trailed, an embarrassed blush lighting up her face. Cilan laughed softly and closed the curtains across the room's slightly opened window, blocking out the moonlit air form entering, though he could feel his own flustered blush appearing as he caught a second glance of Iris' bare stomach as she tried to straighten herself out, eventually just crumpling down to a heap messily at the bottom of the bed, bashfully peering up at him.

"Ah, ok then." He breathed, subtly climbing into bed. "It's getting late Iris. You ought to get to bed." Cilan ordered gently, looking at her for the last time before he rolled over onto his side and allowed the warm duvet and the soft matress to take him on the short journey to utter bliss.

"B-But there's only one." She stuttered, her blush deepening by the second.

"So? It's not like we'll be doing anything besides sleeping." Cilan retorted with a smirk.

"I'll sleep on the floor. You can get me back for making you sleep on the floor back at your place." Iris reasoned, begingin to shift, but Cilan grabbed her hand and shook his head.

"No." He muttered, his voice low.

"W-Why not?" She dared herself to ask him, which she was rewarded with a gentle yet firm tug in the direction of the bed. Her eyes widened minutely but she forced herself to keep her cool.

"Because this bed is big enough for two. And I won't allow you to sleep on the floor. That's not the way things work Iris. Now, don't tell me you're going to stoop to childish levels and refuse me yet again, hmm?" He taunted with a mischevious glint, though he rememinded himself that he musn't get caught up in the act and upset her beyond repair. Just enough to rile her up would be enough for him.

"No! Hmph!" She remarked, before she nimbly leaped over him and onto "her side" of the bed, instantly feeling relieved under the warm bed sheets and atop the springy matress. Pulling the duvet up to her shoulders, she snuggled into the bed, feeling safe and secure - all in the presence of Cilan too!

She closed her eyes and sighed, already feeling the drag of sleep begin, although this time, it was welcomed with glad and open arms. However, that immediately shattered when she felt a tight arm around her middle. Her eyes shot open and she looked to the side of her, only to see Cilan's face not far from hers. Why did he keep doing that?

"C-Cilan! Shove off! Get to your side!" Iris stuttered, already messing up her words. She bit her lip apprehensively and tried to lean away from him a little, only to feel a warm sensation well up in her legs and stomach. Not to mention her racing heart beat.

"You want my attention." He replied simply, closing his eyes and grinning.

"How'd you figure that out?" She exclaimed, though Cilan pressed a finger to her lips which quietened her momentairaly.

"Well, you were being pretty obnoxious earlier to the lovely Nurse Joy." Cilan said, deliberately choosing his words carefully.

"Then why don't you go to your "Lovely Nurse Joy"? I'm sure she'd be dying to spend the night with you." Iris seethed sarcastically, closing her eyes tightly, stubbornly.

"No. I'd rather spend time with my lovely Iris." Cilan whispered, pulling her against him which made his body tingle. This felt so wrong; he was making fun of and teasing a lady. Not even a lady, but a person. It was bad what he was doing, but in turn, he couldn't resist.

"L-Lovely Iris?" She stumbled about her words as she tried to appear nonchalent about the whole situation.

"Of course. Why do you think I've stuck around so long with you?" Cilan asked, stroking her hair in which made her try to desperately bat his hands away. He chuckled and it sounded rather dark in the pitch black of the bedroom.

"Because you promised you would stay with me." Iris whined, closing her eyes, still batting his hands with hers. The flapping of her hands started to annoy him ever so slightly and so he gained a firm grip on her arm and quickly draped it around him. She froze, not daring to move. She'd never seen Cilan like this. Heck, she didn't even know that he had this side in him? But why now was the question that was whirling through her mind as she felt his warm body from underneath her fingertips. She blushed involuntarily, thanking the spirits that the room was pitch black so that Cilan could not see the effect he was having on her. If that were to happen...

"Now, let's go to sleep, yes?" Cilan whispered to her, with a dangerous glint in his normally kind, bright eyes. Iris nodded weakly and closed her eyes as she was told to. She felt him sigh and then peeked her eyes open to find that he had his closed too. She smiled briefly and closed hers again, the warmth that his body was radiating was just too warm and comfortable to resist as she buried herself into his side, taking his scent in and storing it in her memory. It didn't feel bad hugging him. In fact, she could readily get used to it! But he would be gone in couple of days and she felt a burn in her eyes as she subtly gripped him tighter, trying her best to hold him close to her for as long as possible.

Cilan smiled as he felt her grip tighten and something clicked inside of her mind, which really didn't suprise him as much as he thought it would.

He loved Iris...

**DONE! YAY! Geez, what is it with me and long chapters these days? Sorry if it drones on a little but this was fun to write. And I hope you liked the shippy moments in it, not to mention a little bit of a "naughty" Cilan side. ;D**

**(1) - Her grandmother had that much money because of her previous job. Despite her being old, she worked as a jeweler, both designing and selling, and saving up money for her last few years (She died at 73), and before she knew it, she had that much money! So YAY for her grandma! But on a serious note, she worked very hard and saved all her money, exclusing the basic pay that she needed to survive without worry. :) I thought if I included this in the actual story line, it would drone for ages (longer than it already has anyways!) and probably wouldn't even fit in with the story line anyway. :)**

**(2) Cilan, although he had the computerised map thingy-mabobby, thought that a hand written letter to his brothers, would be more heartfelt and personal so he chose to send it to them instead of sending them an "email" on his computerised thing. :3**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed!~**

**~Jess~**


	11. To Tell you the Truth

**So, here I am again with "The Locket" chapter 11, right here, right now. Thanks to the reviewers for giving me the drive to continue with this, even though I probably would have anyways... But you were the extra push that I needed to write this chapters down quicker! So remember, if you prefer quick updates, make sure to review! Just like a car needs fuel, the human mind needs energy and seen as though my fridge is empty, I'll settle for reviews instead! ;D**

**Ok so, enjoy and please, if you get the time, review too! I'm more than curious about your opinoins on my work so far! ^-^**

**P.S: Oh, and if you have a spare minute or so, you may wanna check out my ChilixOC stories. I have two of them; a one-shot, and a chapter story one, (But the chapters are in no way linked, but more will be explained in the actual fanfic. :3) that desperately need some love! Luckily, I have one loyal reviewer that has kept my spirits high for writing it, but some extra help would be highly appreciated! :)**

**Thanks, and enjoy!**

**~Jess~**

_He loved Iris_

__**************_**********lklkl(*******************_k_

_"Do you know who I am, young shadow? Do you even know who you are?" The voice taunted it from behind the glass, a cruel barrier that had been placed there to stop the shadow from becoming a part of the normal, real world._

_"I-I can't remember..." It stuttered, looking down at the white, unforgiving floor that seemed to shift beneath it's feet. Like an opening to another dimension, the view was simply bleak. There was nothing to see. No people to meet. Nothing to anticipate. The shadow, sadly, only lived to exist._

_"You can't remember, or you don't want to remember?" The voice continued, it's tone sharp and cruel._

_"..."_

_"As I thought. You're in denial. You're lying to yourself, young -"_

_"No! I'm not a liar! I don't belong here! Let me out!" The shadow interjected angrily, screaming incoherent curses at the top of it's lungs as it begged to be freed._

_"Let this be a lesson to you." The harsh voice snapped and the shadow felt a strong wind lash at it's darkened body. The pain was unlike anything else that it had ever experianced, but the shadow wasn't sure what hurt more; the pain from the wind, or the fact that it had nothing at all to live for. To survive in an empty world of nothing was the biggest mockery of them all and the shadow decided it would rather perish than live amongst the dead. It lifted it's head dramatically and glared in the direction of the voice, but to it's dismay, it wasn't there. It knew because of the menacing silence that once been filled with teasing laughter and happy chortles that mocked it from the real world. Now, there was nothing._

_The shadow, cold and lonely, slipped to it's knee's and began to cry, the aching in it's heart all too powerful to resist as it sobbed it's long river of troubles into the blank abyss around it. Now, it had nothing. Well and truly nothing. At least before, there had been something to keep it from slipping into the evil clutches of a bleak, empty world but now..._

_"Hello?" _

_But the shadow was too busy crying to hear the melodic voice that had reached out to it._

_"Hello?" Light tried again, a little louder this time and to it's suprise, the dark shadow looked up._

_"H-Hello?" It tried to stutter as it saw the most beautiful thing in it's life; a flickering light. No wait, it's seen that before. Or maybe it was kidding itself?... No, that little spark was definitely familiar to it._

_"I know you!" The shadow exclaimed, drying it's tears and feeling a little flare of hope brew in it's stomach._

_"But of course! We've met before, haven't we?" Light asked pleasantly and upon further inspection from the now hopeful shadow, it could tell that it was a males voice. Shadow wished that it had the priviledge of knowing it's own gender, but no. It knew that it breathed and that was it; a meek existence at it's absolute finest._

_"Yes. Yes, I think so." Shadow muttered, having to look down at the floor for the light was so bright. It looked like a star or a firework, something that the shadow had experianced in it's very early days, before it was whisked here..._

_"You know so!" He continued. "Do you remember my last visit?" _

_"...Not really." Shadow replied glumly, staring down at the floor to resist glaring up at it's own head in apathy at it's terrible memory._

_"Ah, that's why you're so confused." Light murmured, getting closer to to the black shadow._

_"It is?" Shadow asked._

_"Yes, it is. Tell me, shadow, why are you stuck here when the world is there?" He questioned kindly, demonstrating his point by flickering by it's side when he said "here" and then flitting speedily to the other side of the glass when he said "there"._

_"Because I'm not allowed there." Shadow recited, knowing full well upon being told by countless voices many atime._

_"And who says?" He asked, obviously intending to make the shadow think._

_"The bigger ones do." It answered after a seconds hesitation._

_Then the unexpected. Light laughed at it. And shadow felt worse._

_"Excuse the laughter, but you're the only one keeping yourself here!" Light spluttered, trying to compose it's glimmering form._

_"I am?"_

_"Yes. And also tell me, __shadow_,_ when was the last time you ever thought for yourself?" He asked, growing serious again in a flash. _

_Shadow didn't know how to reply. It hadn't been prepared for that question and so knew nothing of the sort. It stayed silent, feeling humiliated and embarrassed._

_"As I thought. Listen, why don't you tell me what __you__ want?" Light sparkled and disappeared behind shadow, making it feel uneasy but at the same time, brave. It felt it could do anything it wanted to with this kind-hearted light by it's side and it felt a a strange sensation in it's head. Was it...? Could it be...?_

_"So, what __do__ you want?"_

_Yes, shadow was sure of it. The power to think. The audacity to think and the confidence to think for itself were slowly returning to it's brain. Though it was slow, a sure, non-robotisised, set of words flowed easily from it's mouth._

_"I want to be free. I want to get out. I want to live." It replied and the flicker went in front of it. Shadow could tell that if Light had a face, this one would definitely be smiling!_

_"Then go!"_

_"What?"_

_"With that attitude, you can get out. It doesn't take much to escape this place; just a little feeling and your own awareness of what is right and wrong. Keeping you here shadow, is wrong. And somewhere deep inside of you, you knew that all along and so did your heart." Light explained wistfully._

_"So all this time, I've only been keeping myself here?" It quizzed._

_"Yes. Now go! Go through!" The light encouraged._

_"Will you come with me?" Shadow posed the question. What had it to lose?_

_"I'm afraid not. But wait for me at night by the big, old, oak tree and I'll come and visit you." Light smiled warmly._

_"What big, old, oak tree?"_

_"You can't miss it. It's beside a river. The scene is truly beautiful at night." Light replied simply and shadow felt it was best to not ask any more questions. Well, it had one request..._

_"Light?" It dared, peeking upwards._

_"Yes, Shadow?"_

_"Do you know who I am?" _

_Light froze. He knew yes, but now was not the time. Not here and definitely not now! It was too soon, too early, too...dangerous._

_"Yes, but I cannot tell you right now." He retorted, picking it's words carefully._

_"Why not?" Shadow asked inquisitively, fiddling apprehensively with it's unrecognizable fingers._

_"Because now is not the time." Light answered with a low voice, floating gently beside the shadow as if to offer comfort or good luck._

_"Then when is the time?" Shadow questioned innocently._

_"...Very soon. And I mean, __very__ soon."_

_***************_**********************_lk*_

Iris shuffled, clutching her locket tightly within her quaking fingertips. Then, becoming aware of something draping around her waist, she spilt a couple of tears. She'd done it again. She hadn't fought him off and now she'd paid the price for it. Her own body.

She didn't want to wake him so instead managed to get into a tight, compressed ball and cryed silently to herself, replaying all the possible things that she could have done back over in her mind. Why hadn't she done anything? Why? Remembering her dream that current night, she thought back to the light's true words. In fact, in her eyes, no truer words had _ever _been spoken. So why hadn't she stood up and told her father it was wrong. Because she was weak and a crybaby and she made a big deal out of everything, that's why...

Cilan, was still pleasantly asleep, when he felt a shiver from underneath his arm. His unmoving face faltered with a twitch and he slowly opened one eye to look around.

The familiar walls of the Poke-Centre stood around him and he smiled, nodding at his surroundings in remembrance. He peered down at Iris with a loving smile, but said smile vanished when he saw her curled up, shivering and sobbing into the bed sheets.

"I-Iris, what's wrong?" He asked urgently, pulling her closer to him and his welcoming body. So it was a big suprise when she wriggled uncooperatively and hit his chest harshly, screaming curses at him though they were muffled by the bed sheets. What on earth...?

"Iris? Iris, look at me!" Cilan called above her consistent screaming and crying. This was terrifying. What was wrong with her? She stopped hitting him suddenly and resulted to rocking uneasily, shaking with upset and uncertainty.

"I-Iris..." Was all he could say as he reached under the blankets and placed a hand on her knee to get her to straighten her body so that he could hold her close to him. To comfort her. To tell her that everything would be alright and whisper comforting things in her ear.

But to his upmost suprise, when his hand made contact with her, she fought against him and his pushing hands, even biting his arm a couple of times with venom.

"Shh, Iris, it's me. Cilan." He murmured to her, trying his best to both get close to her and ignore the pain in his arm. She didn't reply, only grabbed his pyjama shirt and cried into it, putting it in between her teeth and gnawing it angrily. Cilan, seeing the change in her actions, tried once more to push her leg down. He did so with little effort, she seemed too tired to fight with him. Once in succession of getting her form straight, he pulled her firmly against him and stroked her hair lovingly.

"C-Cilan?" Iris whimpered, still hyperventilating violently into his now soaked chest.

"Yes?" He mumbled, feeling his way under her hair and onto her neck, his fingers tenderly rubbing where there was plenty of tension stored up. She made a little sound of appreciation and moved towards him slightly, nuzzling his chest with her head.

"Oh thank goodness!" Iris cried, wrapping her arms around his neck unexpectedly which made Cilan's eyes widen slightly before they softened and he returned her embrace, his heart fluttering as he did so.

"Why, who else would it be?" He questioned curiously, though he was worried. Who would cause her to have such a reaction as she did? It wasn't her; it was downright hateful and vicious

"...We should get going." She muttered.

But Cilan wasn't prepared to.

"Yes, after you tell me who else it could have been. Like an unfinished recipe with an ingredient missing, you're not telling me something. A vital piece of information. And I want to know what it is. I'll wait right here until you tell me, Iris." Cilan stated, his face stern as he stared at Iris with disbelief.

"Well, you'll be here for a while then." Iris replied difficultly, closing her eyes and snuggling back down into the bed sheets instead of paying any heed to Cilan. Cilan, growing the slightest bit annoyed, tilted her head up and dared himself closer to her, the tip of his nose touching hers gently.

"Iris, I'm here to help." Cilan whispered, placing a single pale finger onto her soft cheek. She peered up at him with innocence glimmering in her eyes, her hands not moving from their place on his chest as she gripped the thin pyjama fabric between her lean fingers. Feeling self-concious, she averted her eyes to look downwards and away from him, but was instantly brought to look at him when he bent his head slightly to catch her eye all over again.

"You can't help..." She mumbled quietly, feeling her eyes sting. The time was coming sooner than she'd expected. He was going to leave her. For good.

_"This should be good news for you, Iris!"_ Her inner voice sneered and made Iris feel worse. The fact was that it wasn't good news for her and she didn't want to leave him. Not quite yet. She couldn't grasp it; at the begining she would have done anything to get away from him but now, she couldn't vision life without the green-haired "weirdo"! It was peculiar beyond understanding and so Iris tryed not to understand anything anymore. Too much work only to figure out that you're going to be tossed away again the second that they get bored with you. Had she really come that close to him?

"What do you mean? Of course I can help you." Cilan said, smiling tenderly at her. She shook her head. He just didn't understand! No one did! Even guys who wore fancy bowties and polished shoes couldn't seem to grasp it!

"No you can't. Listen, Cilan, can we just get ready, get back on the road and _then _I'll tell you everything." Iris muttered, staring at him with a meaningful gaze.

"What do you mean everything?" Cilan asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"I said, I'll explain it didn't I? So please, no more questions. Not now." Iris begged, tightening her grip on his shirt ever so slightly.

"...Alright then. We'll get ready and _then _you'll tell me everything I want to know, yes? That's the deal?" Cilan enquired.

"Yes. Oh, and Cilan?"

"Yes Iris?"

"While I'm getting changed, will you go and ask _Nurse Joy _if she has any scissors." Iris asked, briefly gesturing with her head in the direction of her sleeping Axew, the tag still around his neck.

"Yes, I'll do that for you." Cilan smiled, stroking her head and then getting out of bed, Iris following suit with a grateful smile.

"Thank you... Cilan." She beamed.

"No problem!" He smiled and he went out of the door rather quickly to leave Iris alone to get ready.

"He's so nice." Iris grinned to herself, but said grin disappeared when she realised that she would have to tell him the truth. What if she couldn't pull herself together. But she must. She owed it to him. She hastily got changed and folded her night clothes, putting them into the pink rucksack alongside her sleeping bag. He had provided for her. He had looked after her. He had kept his promise so valiantly and now, she knew, it was time to return the favour, by giving him the full story

Just as she finished tidying her things away, Cilan knocked on the wooden door and Iris called him in. He did, swinging a pair of scissors around his fore-finger as he came towards her.

"You were quick." He commented and then handed her the scissors carefully, being cautious as not to cut her or hurt her in any way.

"Yeah... I'll take Axew and get out now." Iris said nervously, grinning sheepishly as she grabbed her bag and Axew, before she walked out and closed the door swiftly behind her, anticipation eating at her silently as she longed to read the message.

"Wakey wakey Axew." She cooed with a lop-sided grin as she stroked his head softly.

"Axew?" He said sleepily, rubbing his little ruby-red eyes and ridding himself of sleep with a flick of his clawed hand.

"Sit still whilst I get this off." Iris ordered gently, bringing him to sit on her knee. Carefully flexing the scissors, she cut the tag's fastening and the note fell to the floor. Picking it up, Iris went pale. Three words that made her blood run cold with fear.

_Coming for you..._

__*********************_****************lk*************_

**So that's all. This chapter was more of a filler, but next chappie will introduce Iris' past when she confesses to Cilan what really happened. Not going to give you anynmore insight otherwise it will ruin it for you. Be prepared for lots of drama from here on out though!**

**:D**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	12. The Confession of a Lifetime

**So, the twelth installment of The Locket is now underway!**

**Hopefully, you guys will enjoy and I hope that I can write the drama effectively! :3**

**P.S: Not much of a promotion person says me, but I will say that my ChilixOC CHAPTER story is on chapter 5 now. Just for anyone who fancies a good read, because if you enjoyed this, something laig back and (not so) innocent will just the thing for you! :)**

**Oh, and if you review, please tell me YOUR thoughts about possibilites that could very well occur in this work. :)**

**Thanks!**

**~Jess~**

**Wishfulshipping_Wishfulshipping_!**

_Coming for you..._

**************l*******************

Iris read the note again and again, the same, almost forgotton feeling of fear raising itself in her stomach as she felt every word, like seperate tiny pins, penetrate her soul like unforgiving stitches - though these words had scarred her far beyond repair, and stitchs weren't even going to begin to heal this gaping wounds.

Cilan suddenly emerged from the room and she clumsily shoved the note in her trouser pocket and he pulled a curious expression, staring at her with suspicion.

"Hey Cilan!" She managed to say without stuttering, her fingers fiddling with a strand of hair apprehensively.

"What's that?" He asked, cutting straight to the chase, his Pansage eyeing her with narrowed eyes - most definitely speculating her every move super closely.

"What's what?" She feigned innocence with a grin, looking up at the ceiling in mock stupidity.

"That thing you shoved so quickly into your pocket." Cilan answered sharply, not buying her act for a second.

"What thing that I shoved so quickly into my pocket ? I- I don't know what you're talking about!" Iris denied, turning her head away from him as she grimaced to herself, not liking his alert attitude.

"Iris." He said sternly, arms folded across his chest, giving him the feel of high authority and importance.

"Ok..." She mumbled dejectedly, staring at the floor before returning her gaze to him and his captivating eyes. "Let's just say that I got the thing from Axew's neck." She stated, as nonchalnet as possible, though on the inside, the panic was there and undeniable. They had to at least get back on the road, even if she _had _to tell him everything. This was going to be difficult - very nearly impossible!

"So, what was it?" Cilan asked with a smile, apparently pleased with the answer he received as his hands moved to flop beside him, swinging briefly like he was relieved from carrying something extremely heavy.

"Umm, a, uh, number from my friend. Yeah, she's always wanted to get in touch with me. Finally decided to do it I guess." Iris said unconvincingly, though Cilan didn't seem to notice as he looked more interested and intrigued as to why and how her "friend" had accomplished such an impossible task.

"Wow, pure dedication. Like a chef hard at work, the results were truly refined and now look - you have someone but me to talk to." Cilan smiled happily, not noticing Iris' discomfort as he had his eyes closed in a knowledgable way.

"Yeah, I guess." Iris commented, brushing past him but peered at him inquisitively when she felt him gently grab her wrist between his nimble fingers.

"You don't seem all that thrilled to me, Iris. Well, I suppose you can explain in your own time. But, your own time is now if we're talking in the context of what's going on and what I asked you about earlier." Cilan muttered gently, though his grip tightened when she tried to pry herself free and Iris could feel her blood having difficulty getting through to her fingers as they went numb.

"C-Cilan, you're hurting me..." She mumbled, looking down at the floor as she winced in pain.

"Oh, I'm ever so sorry. I honestly didn't - I didn't do any real damage did I?" Cilan questioned hurriedly, immediately grabbing her wrist again and inspecting it from every angle. All in about three seconds of him asking her if she was alright in the first place! What Cilan seemed to forget was that he had only hurt her wrist by accident, not caused her internal bleeding purposfully.

"Shh, I'm fine. Really!" Iris shrugged him off with a playful flick of the wrist and her hand tapped him lightly on the chin in a mock smack.

Cilan grinned and breathed out a sigh of relief though there was a little bit of worry still residing in his eyes as he gazed at her wrist with an apoligetic stare. Starting to feel uncomfortable, Iris folded her arms behind her back and placed a placid smile on her face.

"Really." She repeated and she watched Cilan smile and nod, returning his eyes to hers.

"So, tell me everything then? And please, don't leave any details out." Cilan commanded tenderly, walking her down the hall with practised guidance, his Pansage deciding to stay silent throughout the people's entire exchange. He simply blinked innocently, but was secretly listening to every word that they dared speak.

"Can we at least get going first?" Iris pleaded, but it wasn't _all _because she wanted to gain distance. It was also for the sheer fact that she wasn't going to put up with any interruptions form the all too friendly Nurse Joy! Ugh, Iris couldn't stand her and her happy smile!

"Will it make you tell me things faster?" Cilan asked.

"Probably, yes."

"Then yes, lets go. I'll go and say goodbye to Nurse Joy then while you wait outside. I won't be long." Cilan reasoned and Iris nodded. Oh yes, she liked that plan. It meant that she wouldn't even have to say a word to the infuriating nurse. Instead, she could waltz on past and Cilan could say her thank you's for her! It was perfect!

Iris stalked past the counter with a defiant stride, muttering an (obviously) uninterested "Bye." to Nurse Joy, as she skilfully opened the door and kicked it close, though the kick wasn't any harsher than necessary. All the while, Cilan stood with a somewhat smug smile on his face as he watched her depart.

Iris sat on a hard log and instantly heard the note crinkle under the pressure, the sound reminding her of the threatening words. Though simple, the words still stung her harshly in her heart and made her feel sick to the stomach. But what made her sicker was the fact that today was the day. The day that she would have to tell Cilan her real reasons and Iris wasn't sure if she could physically face it.

No, now was the time to take a stand and face it. To be strong and stomach the pain. Afterall, it couldn't be worse than anything she knew of. All she was doing was losing unwanted weight on her "team". But what is it really unwanted? Iris doubted it, but although she had slowly admitted it to herself, she would never admit it to Cilan. But hadn't she already? In her owns special way of course, which included less of the sarcasm and more of the compassion - compassion that she had forgotton that she could show. Iris couldn't even remember the last person, excluding Cilan, that she had _ever _called a friend. Or even an aquaintence. And then to lose what she had evetually come to love so much was just heart-breaking. But it was for the best... Wasn't it?

Cilan stepped outside and instantly spotted Iris and she didn't look happy. In fact, quite the opposite as she sat hunched on the uncomfortable - looking log, her feet kicking at some loose dirt. Cilan blinked and frowned; he couldn't understand why she was always so downhearted, but he did have a couple of suspicions. That something was going on, and he was mentally bracing himself for whatever it was that she was going to tell him. In a way, this was what Cilan had always dreamed of since he met her; for her to trust him with her deepest secrets. But if one of those most reserved secrets was a bad one...

Cilan breathed in through his nose and exhaled deeply but Iris didn't notice. So he went and tapped her softly on the shoulder - an action that made her whirl around abnormally quick, as if in defense or as if she expected something bad. The action only added Cilan's silent theories and he stored the action in his memory for furture reference.

"Come." He said simply, offering her an inviting hand to take. She comlied meekly and he noticed that the fight inside of the dark female had seemingly vanished.

"Lets just walk for a while, ok?" Iris enquired, though it was more of an order than a statement.

"Agreed." Cilan smiled, letting go of her hand and allowing her to walk on her own, as well as letting himself prepare. Whatever Iris was going to tell him, it was going to be huge. He could tell by her concern and her hesitation to tell him. He had half figured a possible theory out, but he wasn't sure how relative it was. With Iris, he could never tell, because over this past few days, he had noticed that she was very good at hiding what she felt. The saddness with Axew going missing. She'd handled it extremely well to say her _partner _had gone missing, but Cilan knew that she felt lost without her little Axew. The compassion when he hugged her. He could feel that she wanted to hold him close to her aswell, but she seemed to fighting against something, or fearing something. The jealousy with Nurse Joy, but, maybe that wasn't so subtle!

The pair gained distance from the small Poke-Centre and Cilan felt his curiosity get the best of him.

"Iris, is there alot to say?" He asked, folding his arms behind his back as he listened intently.

"...Yes." She answered simply, though it was barely audioble. Cilan didn't like seeing her like this; she seemed so afraid and fragile, and Cilan had no clue as to why that was.

"Hmm, won't you tell me anything yet?" He chanced, mentally preparing himself for a harsh reply. So it was to his upmost suprise when she simply took a deep breath and sat on some grass. He followed suit, though his position was neater and more careful.

"Well Cilan, there's alot to say, like I said. And it's difficult. For both of us." Iris mumbled, not really sure on how to start. Only last night, when she had taken a shower, had she noticed the many cuts, bruises and scars that were all over her body like an infectious rash or an unpleasant skin condition.

"Go on." He urged kindly. Pansage nodded, eager to listen.

"Well, it's just that I - You promise not to tell anyone else?" Iris suddenly demanded, pointing at him warningly with her fore-finger. However, he did nothing more than lower her finger with his hand and pat it, before folding his arms again and saying:

"I promise Iris. I promise." Cilan assured and Iris breathed out again. This, for her, made the job slightly easier.

"Well, you know when you found me in Striaton?" She began, slowly and unconfidently.

"Yes."

"And when I said to you that I was going to my parents house?" She hesitated and exhaled shakily.

"Yes?"

"...I lied." She muttered simply, feeling the burning sensation of tears. There was no way that she could bottle it in anymore.

"Y-You lied? What do you mean...?" Cilan stuttered, a shocked expression on his face. Iris cried out in frustration as she let the waterworks run.

"I lied! I lied to you Cilan! I'm not going to my parents house, I was running away! They're always so horrible to me, they disgust me! I _hate _them!" Iris yelled, angry sobs emitting from her mouth, loud and uncaring as to if anybody heard, although she was still feeling weary about just who was listening in.

"..." Was all Cilan could manage as he simply tried to register the information.

_"She lied to me. She really lied to me!" _His mind screamed, enraged. _"But maybe there's a reason for it Cilan! You musn't lose your temper now!" _His mind also argued with him and his brewing emotions. On the bright side, although that probably wasn't the correct term to use in such a dire situation, he had found the reason why she consisted of much pent up and bottled in anger and tears. At least there was a reason. Was there a reason for the lie though?

"Iris?" He managed to breathe out without shouting or lashing out, although he would never hit anyone. More like las out on himself for not noticing it quicker. In fact, now that he mentioned it, most of the anger was directed at himself; for not noticing quicker and for letting it g whenever Iris said something that suggested towards this huge catastrophe.

"I'm sorry! So, so sorry..." Iris continued to cry, eventually just crumpling into a mess and sobbing outwardly, unable to hold it back any longer. This had been building up for years and so had the confession - not for Cilan obviously, but she had always prepared herself for when somebody had asked her if something was wrong at home. But she had never been brave enough. Eventually her cries, although still violent, turning into incoherent noises as she mumbled her apology over and over again.

"Iris, is there any particular reason you were running?" Cilan enquired, though his voice was starting to give him away. It was getting shakey and uneven because of the heartbreak he felt; not just because of the lie, but because of how sorry she truly _did _feel about it. You know, they always say never to trust a liar, but no one could possibly fake such emotion as Iris was now projecting shamelessly as she screamed into the dirt and hit the floor with curled up fists. Cilan actually believed that she was genuine, but if her reason wasn't good enough, well, he was back home.

"B-Because they do all sorts of cruel things to me." Iris hyperventilated violently, refusing to sit up and show the Connoisseur how vulnerable she really was (although in this case, it may have been a bonus.). At this sentence, Cilan froze and his anger, though still there, didn't feel all that important anymore.

"They beat me. They lock me out of the house when it's pouring with rain so that I get sick. They make me ill on purpose by giving me old, gone off food, and when they come home, drunk and stupid off of their heads, and when they _vomit _all over the floor and _I'm _the one who has to clean it up. They laugh at me when I'm in so much pain and then do it all over again. My dad, John, touched... Things and I have nothing! So I ran. And I plan to still run. I-I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't even intend to get close!" Iris spilt every last single detail and Cilan sat in utter shock, his anger now completely vanishing as a feeling of terror brewed in his stomach.

"They hurt me so bad Cilan. I just - I just wanted to get away. To be a normal kid and not have to worry about anything. I can look after myself because of how much I've been kicked out and left alone in the house, even from such a young age. It trained me to find my own food, which was why I was so good at finding the berries to help you make your dish. It trained me to be faster and stronger, which is why I could outrun you easily when Axew went missing. It trained me to climb so that I could avoid anything that came my way! You- You don't understand!" And Iris was right. He didn't understand how something so _vile _couls take place. Iris screamed, throwing her head back and crying and yelling at the sky and some passer-bys shook their heads and dragged their pokemon into the Poke-Centre. Iris cursed angrily at them and Cilan widened his eyes and tryed to calm her, though she shook it off after seeing that Cilan looked disgusted. Little did she know that the disgust was not for her...

"I-Iris... Why didn't you tell me?"Cilan whispered to her and she shrunk away and hid herself. Cilan blinked back tears and instead, stroked her head, which he felt her shrink away from, her head tensing under his gentle fingertips.

"I-I just d-" Iris began, but was swiftly interrupted by Cilan.

"Sooner. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" He seethed and Iris flinched. Realising how cold and cruel his tone sounded. If he'd have known about anything, he never would have messed around with her last night, with the teasing and his careless fingertips as his lanky arms held her close to him. It all made sense now and it was only logic that she would awaken scared out of her wits as soon as she felt that pang of familiarity. Not to mention the dreams that Iris had told him about and the locket that hung limply around her neck being something to do with her grandmother and the "Mysterious Happening". All the things that she had actually decided to tell him were now all linking together, like stray pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

"I-I'm sorry. I should have. Y-You should just go now. Just leave, like the rest of them do." Iris cried, though her tears were dying down and her voice was reduced to a low, whiper-like voice. Cilan couldn't help but notice the expectant look in her eyes, like she actually believed that he would leave her.

"Iris, I-"

"No wait!" Iris suddenly shouted and Cilan froze, shocked at how desperate that she no sounded. "I can be better. I can be good enough for you. I won't bother you anymore; see, I'll even make my own food and you won't even know I'm here. I'll just -"

"Iris -" But Iris continued with the same crazy-looking smile on her face as she explained all of the things that she would do to make it up to him. She looked, deranged or something as she continued with her tangent and went round and round in circles, all the while with that unstable glint in her eye.

"Please don't leave me here alone Cilan!" She cried, terrifyed and unstable.

"Iris!" He yelped above her inseasant scene and she stopped and peered up at him, giving him a chance to see how pityful and how much anguish and loneliness there was in her eyes.

"Yes, Cilan?" She dared, saying his name as if was the last time it would ever leave her lips. And it probably would be, she thought silently to herself.

"Iris, I'm not going anywhere." Cilan murmured, making his choice. His anger with her could wait. This situation could have her life on the line and he wanted her to live by him. To trust him. To love him. Anything and everything, and he wasn't ready to give up without a fight.

"Wh-What?" She questioned, staring up at him with most innocent eyes he had ever seen.

"What your _parents_," Cilan spat the word as if poisonous to the tounge. ",did to you was wrong. And it won't go unpunished. When we get to Nacrene City, there is a police station. We can file them in there and then the police will look for them." He stated sternly, kneeling beside her and watching her breathe in and out as she tried to steady her breath.

"That's not possible." Iris whispered, turning her head away from him.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because I know for a fact that they'll have got all the police within the next couple of towns on the look out for me. That's one of the reasons that at first, I treated you badly. Because you're a Gym Leader and so people know you publically, the police would also be familiar with you. If they see you with me, helping me, then you'll lose everything, because of me. Plus, with the publicity that you - and your brothers - seem to have, that alone caused a threat to me because people would recognize you, even people not from Striaton. Everyone, and that would be a direct lead for the police." Iris explained clearly, managing to reduce her whimpers to stiffled and a- little- under- control hiccups.

"Ah, there is a problem. We could -"

"And Cilan?" Iris asked. Cilan stopped speaking and turned to her. "No more lies?" She asked, a frown etched into her face. Not that he'd told any, but she wanted to make sure that he continued to be honest with her, even though she felt that she didn't deserve even that much.

"Not a single one." He said.

"So it's the part of my promise when I tell you now about the Mandibuzz. I knew it, I told you and you didn't exactly believe me? Well, it was my fathers." She admitted with eyes tightly shut, readying herself silently.

"How do you know. Is there any major distinction?" Cilan questioned inquisitively, the shock of the truth giving him a headache and making him feel sick to the stomach. He felt that he could actually just spill his contents right there and then, on the grass for everyone to see, but instead, he swallowed thickly and scolded himself for thinking such digusting thoughts. The tears that had existed briefly in his eyes, were gone now and he had managed to keep his cool throughout the entire conversation. He still couldn't comprehend how someone could be so evil...

"No. I know it's wrong now," She muttered, drying the last of her tears and clearing her throat. "But I didn't always know that what they were doing to me wasn't normal. See, when I was a baby and father used to call me and being little, I couldn't get there fast enough, he would always get his Mandibuzz to grab my Axew and then he would lead me right to him." **(1) **Iris explained and Cilan understood. The perfect bait for a child with a love for something; to take it away or use it to their advantage. Like blackmail, it was a pityful crime that only the lowest of the low performed in order to get what they wanted from a younger audience. Truly diabolical and Cilan shuddered in utter distaste.

"I understand." He breathed out hoarsely, his throat sore from all the pent up tension in. It was all he could muster the courage to say.

Then helping her stand up, Cilan eyed the shaken pokemon, his Pansage and her Axew both with eyes wide open and mouths ajar.

"They're just shocked." He told Iris with a meek smile, and Iris returned it, though neither of them were in the mood for pretence. The atmosphere was now awkward and tension filled between the pair. Iris suddenly launched herself around him and held him close, in which he immediately blinked at and held still, waiting for something.

"Thank you Cilan. Thank you for not leaving me. And I know that I don't deserve your comapny but I kno-" Iris began with a gleeful smile but Cilan was having no self-critism.

"How can you _not _deserve protection. You didn't so anything wrong!" Cilan assured, taking her by the shoulders and holding her close to him, his heartbeat beating quickly with both terror and the aftermath of shock.

"Iris, I'm going to teach you everything." Cilan suddenly whipsered to her.

"What do you mean?" She quizzed, whispering back to him.

"I'm going to teach you that not all people are bad. Most of the people are like me, without sounding pointlessly egotistical, kind, caring, loving and inviting."

"Thank you. Thank you Cilan." Iris mumbled into his chest and Cilan relished int he feeling, glad to hold her in the safety of his ever-welcoming arms.

"I'm going to teach you _real _life..."

**Wishfulshipping_Wishfulshipping_Wishfulshipping_**

**So, chapter twelve? Hopefully, it was a good read and I will warn you about the drama levels, because they are about to go off of the charts! D:**

**Review? :)**

**Thanks!**

**~Jess~**


	13. Recognized Voices

**Hey guys, it's me, Jesspikapal, and I'm here with the thirteenth installment of "The Locket". Just think, only a few more chapters and it will be over... D: But, I have a suprise for you all at the end of this chapter, so, read and then be rewarded. ;D**

**So anyways, review?**

**Thanks!**

**~Jess~**

**Wishfulshipping_Wishfulshipping_Wishfulshipping_**

_"I'm going to teach you __real__ life..."_

_***********************************l_

Cilan still didn't understand it. Sure, he understood everything that Iris had told him, but he couldn't even _begin _to think about why it had happened and how something so evil and downright wrong could even happen. He couldn't comprehend it!

Nacrene City was only a short walk away, but to the pair of them, what once had been friendly silence, was now riddled with tension. Iris didn't feel comfortable with him anymore, though he saw the act as more temporal than permanent. He hoped he was right.

"Is Nacrene City far from here?" Iris voiced timidly, feeling slightly apprehensive to even talk to Cilan. He had been given a lot of information in such a little time and it was alot to take in. She didn't want to burden him more than she already had. Her mind flooded back to last night; his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. Excluding her wake-up call with familiarity, it had been nice. No, heavenly. Simply amazing and there wasn't anything that she could think of that she would rather have been doing at that point. But she still didn't understand why she felt that way.

"No, it's not. We should be there in about an hour." Cilan answered, in the softest voice he could muster throughout his deep thinking. Iris frowned.

"You don't have to treat me any different, Cilan." Iris informed quietly, whilst nervously fiddling with the end of her long shirt sleeve, her dark brown fingers poking around comically as she tugged a strand of loose cotton.

"How could I not?" Cilan asked with a small, bashful smile, though inside, he actually meant it. How on earth could he treat her like a normal person when her life had been so outrageously complicated? She couldn't even remember the last brithday that she had celebrated. Heck, she hadn't even known that there was such thing. As they chatted more, she'd told him that for the couple of years that she did go to school before her parents decided to keep her home to stop her from interacting with people and figuring out what life could potentially have to offer her, she had always heard the kids say that it was their birthday. When Cilan asked her the last time that she had had a birthday party, all she had replied with was: "You're supposed to have a party?" When he had told her that, yes, she should get some kind of celebration on her _birthday _she had shrugged and said: "Well, I didn't know that the term applied for me too." And Cilan kept quiet. He couldn't believe that Iris' parents had fed her so many lies, that she was brainwashed into thinking that the way they treated her was absolutely normal. But it definitely wasn't.

"Just... act as you usually do." But even Iris' tone was unconvincing. She didn't think for one second that he would be able to treat any different anymore.

"I-I'll do my best." Cilan smiled genuinely. His Pansage jumped onto Iris' head and nuzzled it lovingly, as if to try and comfort her. Give her some reassurance. Iris said nothing, but she reached up and stroked the little grass monkey behind his ears and he gave into the attention shamelessly. Axew, feeling slightly left out jumped onto Cilan's shoulder and rubbed at the side of his face, his tiny tusks scratching briefly. Cilan peered to the side and took one look at Axew, before he picked him up and held him close to his elegantly clad body, petting the top of his head with obvious affection.

"Looks like Axew likes you." Iris grinned happily. Why was she acting so jolly? It was as if she had forgotton that Cilan knew anything, nevermind everything.

"Same with Pansage." Cilan said, returning her grin, though his was shakey and cautious. How was he supposed to carry this disgusting knowledge around without feeling some weight on his shoulders and some damp in his mood? He couldn't...

"Say Cilan, can we - Hey look! A sign!" Iris began to ask, before she started waving her arms and jabbing her fingers frantically in the direction of a tall signpost. Cilan followed her pointing and indeed, saw the large sign. Walking over to read it, he smiled.

"Nacrene City is just over this little hill! Seems I mis-calculated the time to get there afterall." Cilan exclaimed, an obvious twinge of happiness mingled cleverly with his smooth voice.

"Oh yay, we're almost there!" Iris called excitedly. But she was thinking the same as Cilan secrety. What if Iris had been right about the police officers? Not to say that she had lied, because she hadn't, but what if there actually was no police service in the city. Would people be forced to use emergency service? Or maybe things were going completely unpunished for the moment, they didn't know. But what Cilan did know was that he felt determined to get her through to Nacrene City strictly to find some police officers, even if they had to go beyond their destination. He swore there and then, that he would find someone to help.

The pair began to climb the hill that was going on a gentle slope upwards. Nothing too steep or strainuous and before they knew it, they had reached the top. The hill was small, to say the absoloute least. So it was only rational that Iris' excitement sky-rocketed when the view of the city came to.

"Wow..." She breathed, mesmerised by the blinking lights and the large buildings that were scattered around the area.

"Haven't you ever seen Nacrene City before? By foot it's quite the journey but by vehicle, it only takes a couple of hours, maximum." Cilan explained.

"Nope. Before I began to run, I'd never been anywhere but the middle of my village. My parents didn't allow it but I went out anyway, just to get away for a little bit. I really did hate them. I still do." Iris frowned, glaring harshly at the floor. Cilan felt a pang of pain in his heart. To think that a daughter could _hate _there own mother; it was such a strong context. But Iris, in his mind, rightly deserved to hate her. The pair of them. The father, John, was no better.

"Well, don't you worry. I'm going to see you through wherever you go. Just rememeber, I'll be right there beside you." Cilan assured with a meaningful glimmer in his eyes. Iris gratefully bowed her head and smiled a secretive smile...

_l_

_**Carrie's P.O.V**_

_This journey is becoming one hell of a burden for me. It's been at least a week and a half since we first went to search for her and it was begining to get tiresome. I didn't see why I should help. Afterall, it's not like I forced her to leave; she just went, there and then. _

_Ungrateful bitch._

_But I'll set her straight when we find her, don't you worry. The police are hot on her trail, but we don't just have the police team from Striaton and our small defense unit back in Dragoon Village. Oh no, me and John went larger. We got the task force from Nacrene City and even called for the air force, but they were already out on another seperate mission, so we had to do without. Regardless, this force should be more than enough to find the kid. It shouldn't be too hard since she's so damn stupid, but she has gained distance on us. What, it doesn't take brain cells to run y'know! And, for an idiot, she can run._

_"Any sign of her yet?" I questioned a police officer. I searched for a name tag; Bill was his name._

_"No, not yet ma'am. We're still searching, but we've narrowed our searches down to the next two cities onwards and that's it. She couldn't have gone much furthe because, as you said, she's on foot." Bill replied earnestly. He genuinely felt sorry for her. Well I didn't, that much was for sure._

_"Say ma'am, if I may ask a question?" Bill enquired politely. He was all about business, yet he was so darn cautious._

_"Of course." I answered cooly, a curious glint in my eye. I briefly saw John, my husband, reading a map with a group of slightly younger officers._

_"Do you maybe know of any reason that she would run away in the first place?" asked Bill, as he watched me with a keen, sharp stare, his face stern with seriousness. I didn't like it._

_"Not that I know of. She's always been a happy child." I returned. Lies' that's what they were. She was never happy with anything that we gave to her. She always wanted more!_

_"Hmm... Rest assured ma'am, we'll do our best to return your child to you. Runaways are not exactly uncommon and me and the team have dealt with plenty of their cases, so we know for the most part where they like to hide and how they blend themselves in about the normal crowd." The tall, well built police man assured with the same polite tone in his voice._

_"Thank you. Ever so much." I said through gritted teeth. It ached to lie so much about something that I honestly, didn't give two pigs about. My head was begining to hurt. I'll have to take a sit down before I - We, are on the move again._

_And here comes John right now..._

__l__

The city was massive. Colossal. And it made Iris nervous.

"Don't worry about it!" Cilan assured gently, standing closer to her as they waited the traffic lights to go red so that they could cross the busy road. But the road wasn't just busy; it was bustling with frenzical activity. People were shouting across the streets to each other and there were plenty of children kicking a ball around whilst screaming noisily and luaghing loudly. Very different from Striaton!

"Cilan?" Iris meekly questioned, looking away from him and down at the cobble footpath.

"Yes, Iris?"

"C-Can I... hold your hand?" She requested quietly, her high voice barely audioble above the busy crowd of people.

"Of course. If it will make you feel better." Cilan replied, somewhat uneasily, before he grasped her hand tenderly between his pale fingers and shot her a serene smile.

The traffic lights suddenly bleeped with a piercing siren-like noise and the little man turned from red to green. People began to push and shove to get across the road in the most quick way possible. Cilan carefully led Iris through the large crowd and they crossed the road in one piece.

"Quick, through here." Cilan ordered, before he continued to lead her in the general direction of the police station. Arriving at the door to the massive building, Cilan put his hand to the door and pushed, but was held back by Iris digging her heels into the pavement.

"Huh? W-What's wrong?" enquired Cilan, as he peered down at her, her expression remaining frigid. She was staring at the building with wide eyes and her lips pressed tightly together, Cilan being the only thing that was keeping her from falling backwards as she leaned back on her heels.

"Wh-What if they recognize me?" She whispered and Cilan blinked.

"W-what do you me-" Cilan began, but Iris interrupted him.

"What if they recognize me?" She repeated, this time louder and frightened. "Of course, if my parents have gotton the police from here too, they'll have given them my details. My name, my age, my appearance..." Iris cried, her breath becoming weaker and much more rushed as she stumbled across her sentences and tried to find the correct words to use. People frowned and dragged their children _around _the currently distressed female, and Cilan narrowed his eyes back at them, before pulling her gently, yet firmly into an alley, out of the way.

"Iris, Iris, shh, no one is going to recognize you." Cilan said soothingly, but Iris remained unconvinced.

"What, you think they can miss this?" She screamed, yanking her spiky pigtail roughly. "They'll notice me right off the bat! I'll be sent back. I'll be _forced _back." She rambled, getting more flustered by the second. Cilan tried to follow her cries, before he became exhausted just from trying. He realised that this was the real her; her tough attitude was just an act so that the outside world didn't suspect a thing. But Cilan had known better than that. In actuality, this was how she really was; frightened, angry and vulnerable.

"Iris!" He called over her incoherent tangents and her nonsensical riddles, but was hushed when a pair of arms were placed onto his shoulders, shaking him minutely.

"I don't want to go back Cilan!" She cried, before she shoved her head into his chest and heaved violently into it, her breath hitching and making her splutter recklessly. Cilan, recovering from his shocked daze, came to his senses and wrapped a protective arm around her, whispering gentle promises in her ear as she settled down slightly. A kind rub of the back was enough to get her to cling to him and she did so shamelessly.

"You won't go back. I won't let them take you, Iris." Cilan promised quietly.

"You know Cilan," She sniffled, regaining her composure slightly, before she walked forwards, which made him stumble backwards with unusual clumsiness. His back hit the hard brick wall. "You're always so nice to me. I'm really grateful. Honestly." Iris mumbled, nuzzling his neck briefly.

"O-Of course." He answered uncertainly, feeling his heart hammer in his chest: the place where Iris had just been. "We should get moving again. I honestly didn't think about that factor of things. So what do you propose that we do?" the Connoissuer said quickly, removing her from his body and stepping back out into the street. Iris, seemingly disappointed, followed him.

"Hey, maybe I could just wait out here for you, whilst you ask for the police. Then, if they're not aware of me, you can bring me in too." Iris suggested, a small, thoughtful smile on her face as her plot began to thicken in the recesses of her mind.

"Are you really sure that you want to wait out here on your own. It is very busy out today." Cilan reasoned, gazing at her with a worried expression.

"I'll be fine!" Iris reassured, a cocky smile on her face. Cilan smiled to himself at her confidence.

"Alright then. If you're sure." Cilan answered after a seconds hesitation, his Pansage clinging to his shoulder tightly. He gave her one final smile and then turned and, as casually as possiblely possible, he walked into the police station.

The building was tidy enough, but the station itself had a strange, abandoned feeling to it. The desk in which the main task force sat behind and asked you about your problem, was dusty and redundant. Cilan peered around cautiously, before he noticed movement behind the desk.

"E-Excuse me?" He called out nervously, feeling the ever-listening walls of the police house close in on him as he tried to gain attention.

"What's the problem? What's the problem?" A voice from behind the counter squawked. Cilan curiously peered over and then blinked, even rubbing his eyes for good measure. Behind the counter sat a small bird pokemon. It looked like a parrot on second looks and a musical note type of pattern sat proudly on it's head. Cilan racked his brains; he was sure, back in the Gym, he had seen a trainer with said pokemon. He had travelled all the way over from Sinnoh. It mimicked his every line and this type of pokemon was said to be able to even read the english language and speak whatever was written in front of it. **[1] **Quite a remarkable and intelligent pokemon! A Chatot was it?

Upon further inspection, Cilan could see a long list of writing sat directly in front of the pokemon and Cilan, using his mind, could only guess that they were a list of responses to whatever questions would be asked. Which meant the police were busy, he thought with a sigh. But who was to say that they were busy with "The Iris Case"? He could only hope...

"Uh, I'm here to report about my friend, Iris." Cilan chanced, praying that the cities police force was not aware of her. Unfortunately for him -

"Iris! Iris! Where? Where?" The parrot cried, after it had quickly scanned the long list for a suitable response. It flapped it's wings and opened and closed it's beak as it screamed the question over and over again. Taking no more time to listen, Cilan turned on his heel and bolted as fast as he could towards the exit.

"Wait! Tell me more! Tell me more!" the pokemon demanded, flapping towards Cilan, who could only push himself faster. Reaching the door, he flung himself out and then swung the door shut, the Chatot smashing against the glass with an angry _fwap_.

"Well, that didn't last long. Turns out that the task force is more aware than I thought. It also appears her parents are determined to take her back." Cilan figured out silently to himself. Then, rushing back to Iris who was waiting around the corner, he gripped her hand tightly and pulled her speedily across the street.

"W-Where are we going?" Iris cried, eventually falling into a rhythm with Cilan's steps as the pair continued to sprint away from the large police station.

"I-I don't know!" He answered truthfully, showing no intentions of slowing down just yet. "But we have to move!" He added, leading her quickly around a corner and into an open field. Running for a couple more heart-wrenching minutes, the couple stopped, minds racing and out of breath. They both collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air.

However, Iris seemed to recover quicker because her locket was convulsing with a strange energy, a dim light lit up around it. Momentairaly, it flickered and then vanished all together, leaving Iris to wonder what on earth had just happened. Even now, though the light was not present, she could feel the same powerful energy coursing through her veins, giving her strength. Most unusual...

"W-What did they say?" Iris stuttered, already afriad to find out. As if emphasising her point, Axew's eyes widened and he disappeared into the depths of Iris' long, violet tresses.

"_They _didn't say anything. Their pokemon did." Cilan answered, still stumbling for breath as he placed a feeble hand on his chest and inhaled deeply.

"You're telling me that pokemon can talk?" Iris asked skeptically, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. Cilan must have lost it! Although it was understandable in his case. Iris just guessed that all of the information must have frizzled his brain to bits. She still couldn't work out if it had been the right choice to let someone in and help her to take action about the dire situation, but it couldn't be helped now. She petted her Axew to keep herself from losing concentration and fiddling with things.

"No, just a certain one of them. It's not from around here though. From the Sinnoh region is right. I think it's called a Chatot, or something along those lines..." Cilan pondered to himself.

"Oh." Was all Iris could manage as she began to imagine the many wonderous things that could be out there. Beyond the world of hurt and sadistic cruelty, there was a brighter place. A nicer place. A place that she could readily adjust to.

"Hey Cilan, I need to sleep." Iris yawned, rubbing her eyes and setting her back down onto the soft grass. It had been a while, or at least, it felt like that. She noticed that, while a bed was nice, the outdoors was indeed nicer and she relished in the feeling of the comfy green shoots beneath her. They looked vibrant and fresh, much like Cilan's hair. At the reference, she stopped dead.

_"You've got to stop making references Iris! Shut up already!" _Her mind screamed at her and she silently repeated the all too familiar word over and over again in her head: Sorry.

"What, now? Like trying to bake a cake without the correct ingredients, don't you think that's a little risky?" questioned Cilan, the Connoisseur staring down at her with a worried countenance.

"It'll be fine. Besides, if we're going to get through here, we're going to need to rest up so that we can move around at night when it's quieter and not as busy." Iris reasoned, her eyes already drooping closed. Like the winding depths of a river, her mind flowed freely as her heavy eyelids met, her vision falling into a plesant blankness.

"Alright. I-I'll do some preparations then. Do you, maybe, want a blanket or anything?" Cilan quizzed carefully, kneeling beside her.

"No thanks. But I do have one request." Iris muttered, feeling the sense of sleep arrive. This time, instead of being welcomed with more than open arms in order to escape the weak feeling of her beaten form, she was trying her best to prolong it; she wished to talk to Cilan, if only for a little longer...

"Care to ask me?" Cilan grinned, settling his Pansage on a particularly fuzzy section of grass. The monkey stretched out and then held his tail close to him, falling asleep almost instantly.

"Sure." Iris answered, before looking up at him with half lidded eyes. "Sleep with me."

"H-Huh?" Cilan asked, ignoring the soft chortles of his fellow pokemon.

"Come on. Sleep. Now." Iris commanded and Cilan could do nothing but obey, his back slowly resting against the grassy floor, his eyes remaining open as he stared up at the sky.

"Sleep Cilan, not cloud-watch." Iris deadpanned, but the trace of a smile could be heard if he listened closely enough - which he did. Ever since his realisation, he had been listening so much more intently. Not that he didn't before, but her voice nowadays had a melodious ring to it. One that he couldn't put down without a second listen and so he found his eyes closing in order to please her.

"Goodnight..." They said simotaneously, though the sunlight was still bright in front of their eyelids, beofre they found themselves falling into a content sleep...

_l_

_The shadow sat next to the rushing river, watching the many fire-flies buzz busily around the section of water. Something seemed oddly familiar about this place, other than what the light had told it. Shadow sighed a contented smile and closed it's eyes._

_"So you actually came, hmm?" A voice appeared from behind it and Shadow instantly knew who it was was._

_"Light! Of course I came!" assured Shadow with a grin._

_"You're very loyal, let's say that." He returned politely. Something seemed so familiar...Shadow knew that it had heard that voice before! It knew it!_

_"I told the scene was most beautiful at night, didn't I?" Light smiled proudly and even though it was just a ball of energetic brightness, Shadow could tell everything from his tone of voice and the way he moved. He was just so expresseive and eccentric like that!_

_"You sure did!" Shadow replied happily and Light moved to sit beside it, the pair of them just enjoying the others company for a couple of minutes._

_"So... Are you ready to enlighten me yet?" Shadow enquired quizzically._

_"Are you ready to listen?" Light returned, watching it with interest, a tiny flicker of defiance in it's usual brightness._

_"Of course!" It's dark form answered after a couple of seconds silence._

_"Before I do, do you not remember anything? Anything at all?" Light suddenly quizzed, seemingly cautious about something. Shadow stood up to stretch it's legs, it's legs asleep from being in the same position for so long. Even before Light had got there, Shadow had rushed over here to spectate the sceneary before the seriousness of the sitaution settled in._

_"Nope. Sorry." Shadow retorted apoligetically, stretching it's arm widely as it rotated it's hips from side to side, it's back giving a sickening crack. Satisfyed, Shadow faced Light and perked it's ears intently, ready to listen to whatever was about to be said._

_"Alright. It's really no problem. Do you have any idea who I am?" He replied, yet another question mysteriously latching itself onto his sentence. Shadow's guess was that Light was trying to get it to think. Hard_

_"You seem familiar. I'm sure we've met before." It mused aloud and Light gave an approving nod._

_"Yes, that's correct. Does this maybe mean anything to you?" He smiled as an object appeared from his lit up body. Shadow stopped dead and stared with widened eyes, despite them being dark and unrecognizable. A locket lay limply on the floor, the chain tangled loosely around itself, a particularly bright ruby-red stone sitting patiently in the middle. Shadow blinked._

_"I know this..." It mumbled quietly, gazing down at the mesmerising object. Light chuckled._

_"Of course you do... Iris." Light murmured, the tone still alarmingly well-known. Suddenly, the world lit up with billions of fire-flies and the shadows melted away, including the bewlidered occupant that was currently seated frigidly next to the dancing glimmer. A flash and a seconds pause was the only thing that stopped Iris from looking down at her hands. They were clean and a dark brown colour. So this was who Shadow -Iris was?_

_"I-I don't understand. I-I'm... Me?" Iris questioned, glancing around the now bright and friendly looking atmosphere, the mysterious bugs flying around the pair of them quietly._

_"Of course. And you know who I am, don't you Iris?" Light offered with a kind chuckle. Suddenly something clicked in Iris' mind._

_"Yes, I do... Cilan..."_

**Wishfulshipping_Wishfulshipping_Wishfulshipping_**

**So there you have it! :O This was VERY difficult to write, but hopefully it was worth it! Any corrctions will have to be made later because while the computer is letting me type, when I've been back to re-read it and found some mistakes, I've clicked there to edit them obviously, but then when I write something, it ends up overwriting every single letter and I have to write the whole paragraph again so... Yeah, I PROMISE I'll correct any mistakes once my laptop isn't playing up! I swear! :)**

**[1] Now, slightly unbelievable, I know! But, without sounding desperate, I really wanted a little bit of a lighter situation and if the police aren't there, SOMEONE has to make sure that order is kept in the notorious "Nacrene City"!**

**So, tune in next time for more "Locket"!**

**Please review! It would mean alot to me! :D**

**Thanks!**

**~Jess~**


	14. Police Done, Gone and Run!

**Hey! So, it's me, Jesspikapal, but you probably already knew that!**

**I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. I've been working on some other stuff... SomeChanny stuff, but if you don't know what it is, then don't let it worry you too much. I would recommed it though; it's very fun to write! And read, but... y'know, can't have everything. You want something, most likely you have to work yourself for it; much like this story!**

**So, here I am with the fouteenth chapter to "The Locket" and I'll, as usual, try my absolute best for you people!**

**P.S: Could some of you maybe check out my new story, " A Centuries Worth Of Memories", for me? It needs a little bit of encouragement... ;)**

**Review? :3**

**Thanks!**

**~Jess~**

**X x**

_**Cilan's P.O.V**_

**X x**

I awoke to the grass and Iris' abnormally soft breathing; it was quite a while since I had seen her so calm, even in her sleep, she seemed to be alive with energy. So strange and yet, so expected. I wouldn't dare think any less of her. That poor girl's gone through so much as it is. There shouldn't be anything more to cause a struggle; I'd say she's dealt with quite enough.

It stings a little that she lied to me, but with a life as hectic as hers used to be before she (as she says) "went on the run", I suppose it was normal to have trust issues. Especially since your own family weren't trustworthy and so I held back, feeling the sympathy overcome that. Which is a good thing. I don't think she should be subjected to anymore pain; everybody has their limits afterall!

I'm going to do my best to get her out of this alive and if not, well, then they'll take the pair of us, because as much of a sketchy lifestyle as she has with the stealing and the running away, she's honestly a good person, and I can't bear to watch her get taken away. I _refuse _to watch it and so I, Cilan, will single-handedly get her out with so much as a tasteful escapade. All we need is a plan and then the pair of us are fool-proof. She has the climbing abilties and the bravery, as well as the scouting talent and I have the usuage of mind. That, and I can confuse anybody with my eccentric wording! (Through experiance of my brothers...) Besides, people are bound to treat me with at least a little respect since I am a Gym Leader. (Though that doesn't give me entitlement to break the law, it does give me the freedom of speech as to go so far as to explain my case and actually be taken into consideration.)

Why had we even chosen a _field _of all places, to fall asleep in? A little foolish if you ask me, but she wanted to. Besides, she did have a point: If we were going to travel, it would be in our best interest to do so when it's dark and no one is around. It would make the transmission between cities and different police forces much swifter and much easier. (They are a twenty four hour service afterall!) Plus, if anything was to go wrong, it would be easier to shake the police off in the dark seen as though it is harder to see. Iris is so very cautious. It's a shame that she never seems to take a break. Maybe that'll be my first lesson to her: That she doesn't have to be on her guard all the time. Sometimes it's a good thing to just sit back and relax and let life take you places. That's how I became a waiter and it's one of the best things that ever happened to me.

"Cilan..." She mumbled. I turned my head, a curious expression appearing on my face. Thing was, she was still sleeping. She rolled over, apparently decided she wasn't comfy on that angle and then rolled back again. I smiled fondly. She was beautiful - ever so beautiful. I don't know what I was thinking as my hand reached out and my fingers brushed her hair, but when I came to my senses again, I was glad that I had had my brief moment of stupidity. Sometimes, cluelessness led to extrordinary things afterall.

Her hair was so soft, softer than I'd imagined. From a distance, it looked a little threateneing; what with the spikes and it's rather large surface, but up close, you noticed that that the spikes that once looked like they could poke holes in you, are actually just soft, loose strands of hair that she didn't exactly know what to do with. That didn't bother me though.

I pulled my hand away from her hair and instead, moved to her arm, shaking her gently.

"Iris." I whispered, a small smile plastered on my face. She shuffled and opened her eyes slightly, peering up at me innocently.

"Cilan." She stated in recognistion. I nodded, still smiling. She blinked a couple of times and then sat up, scanning her surroundings cautiously. There she went again; constantly on the watch, waiting to get on the road again. A little too rushed for my taste.

"Are we gonna move or what?" She asked firmly, standing up speedily and staring at me with some sort of pout. Though I couldn;t tell what expression she was trying to pull off, I did know one thing; it looked good on her if I may be so bold as to say so. Brilliant.

"Uh, aren't you hungry?" I asked skeptically, staring at her with stern eyes. There was something off about her. Maybe it was just because she was... No, she was definitely, as Chili would say, "out of it". Hmm, I don't think I like this.

"No time. We have to move!" She urged, miming someone walking to emphasise her point to me, but I already understood. With a sigh and a gentle shake of my head, I forced a smile.

"Of course. You're right Iris." I stated, though I wasn't feeling one hundred percent enthusiastic about the sudden want for distance. She must be taking this exteremly serious which means there must be dire consequences if she was to be caught. Oh what am I saying? Of course there are dire consequences; her parents - I still find the word to be most innappropriate - would be livid.

"Iris, can I just as-"

"Not now Cilan." She interrupted whilst shaking her head. She picked up her bag and immediately began stalking in the direction of the opening of the field that we had so carelessly trekked through. I was starting to regret our afternoon snooze; it had wasted precious time, and there was no doubt that the wicked parents would have caught up, even if only a little. A shuddered, the thought still not normal in my head. Well, of course, they weren't normal, so the thought of them should automatically be abnoirmal also, but still, it's still strange for me.

I found myself falling behind as I heard Iris jump from the last of the tall grass and out onto the smooth, even path. I watched for a second longer, before I collected my bearings.

"Iris, wait for me!" I cried, my voice raising two octaves higher involuntairily. I really hated it when that happened...

**Iris' P.O.V**

**X x**

I still couldn't get my head around it. Back then, my locket had been glowing with something. And it was just before my dream too...

Come to think of it, that was still on my mind. I can still remember it clearly, though I'm not sure if I actually want to. It seems a little disturbing to me that I would have dreams about _Cilan_. Well, and me, but Cilan doesn't even belong in them! ... Does he? What am I saying? Of course he doesn't! But still, I can't help but feel as if that dream emant thing. What? I've always been one for superstitions!

But seriously, I find it weird; it was like... Life was trying to tell me something. And there is something strange about this wind that's here. It seems to not belong here; like it's only here, almost like it got lost on the way to it's intended spot. It all seems real sketchy to me, but what could I do about it?

Now, I wouldn't ever tell Cilan this, but the my arms really ached. All of the time really. That seemed to be my favourite part of my body for my mother to whip, probably because then she could force me to do everything for her, along with the pain in my arms. And my dad's favourite? ... Well, let's not get started on that please...

I halted when I heard felt something rest on my back. It appeared Cilan had finally caught up.

"What?" I hissed with more venom than I intended to. He looked hurt for a second, but he seemed to brush it off momentairaly, resuming from where he had left off. He took a deep breath and began his questions that I knew were coming. Y'see, when he's going to ask something, he always fiddles with his hands, like he's nervous of being outspoken or something. Not that I watch him that closely purposfully. I just have... Nothing else better to do. Yeah, that's right! But for all you skeptical people out there, let's say that I did watch him because of some other reason, you tell me what it would be? Seriously, it's not like I was in love with the guy or anything!...

"Uh, It just seems somethings on your mind. Care to share?" He questioned, removing his hand from my back and folding them behind his.

_Good, don't touch me._

"Hmm, I suppose. As long as we can still move. I'm not liking the emptiness of this place." I stated, and it was true. The place was like a ghost town or something. All abandoned and simply... Empty. It was kinda creepy if you ask me. I peered one more time about the streets of the usually busy (from what I've seen anyways) streets of Nacrene. This place is much more complex than Dragoon Village, I have to say.

"Of course." He nodded whilst bowing slightly. Ok, so he did look kinda cute whenever he did that, but you didn't hear it from me, ok? Hmm, come to think of it, I wonder how Ruby's holding up. Sorry, that comment just reminded me of her. She said exactly the same thing about... Chili, was it? I'm pretty sure that he's the red-head that served me first. His and Cilan's service alike was brilliant I have to admit it.

"What's to know?" I asked, folding my arms whilst walking quickly. He struggled to keep up with me, but he eventually fell into a rhythm with my steps and began to walk straight again. Good for him.

"You just seem slightly fussed. I mean, ever since you woke up, which wasn't too long ago I know, you've been acting a little peculiar." Cilan breathed, obviously choosing his words carefully around me. I didn't know why; it's not like I was going to attack him or anything! Please, I'm not my mom or my dad.

"You noticed?" I demanded, suprised. I was genuninely taken aback that he paid that much attention to me. Unless I'm making it obvious - which I'm not. Seems I'm not the only one who pays a creepy amount of attention of things!

"I couldn't _help _but notice Iris." He said, raising his eyebrows at me. Iris. Hmm, yes I like that. I liked the way he said it. It has my approval.

"Well, I had a dream," I began, hesitating slightly. Should I tell him? Had I anything left _not _to tell him? Geez, this was so confusing! Regardless of everything, I found my mouth move on it's own accord, the words spilling from my lips carelessly. "And you were in it Cilan." I bit my lip apprehensively.

"Oh?" He asked simply, tilting his head briefly. I decided to continue despite everything.

"Yeah. And I was too. And, come to think of it now, there were some shadows too. Hmm, well, you are this light. Really, really bright light and I was this shadow, until this dream when you showed me who I was and... Yeah, it's hard to understand." I trailed. I felt stupid that I couldn't explain it well to him. I kind of felt like I owed him a little more than what I was giving him. I was absoultely sure I could do better than that!

"Hmm, that's fine. Based on what you have and what you are able to piece together, I'd say that there is a lesson to be learnt somewhere along the line." He explained gently with that soft tone of his. His smile was as friendly as his voice was as he gazed at me from the corner of his eye as we moved along the road. It did my heart good to hear that someone was thinking in the same way that I was; it made me feel less stupid to have such a smart guy as Cilan on my side. What I found weird was that I hadn't even mentioned anything about my beliefs about the dream and yet, he thought the same as me: That there wassomething to learn. As if life was trying to teach me something.

"Say, it's funny you'd say that." I shrugged, reaching behindme to cautiously pat Axew. He cooed gently, but understood that I was talking about something important and he stayed put instead of jumping into my arms like he normally would have done. See, my Axew is a very good and well-behaved pokemon! However, I felt a strange yet serene energy flow through my veins as I pushed the subject further. "I had exactly the same thought." Iadded quickly and he looked up at me in suprise, as if he realised how truly compatible we were. Our train of thought was on the same page despite his obvious intellectual qualities. Hey, I can have my moments when I want to!

"Wow, most interesting. Hmm, what I don't - Iris, how long have you been having these dreams?" He asked, but he suddenly changed his tone and the question entirely. I followed blindly, not feeling enough energy to force him to say his other thought. What was it with me and my soft side today?

"A little while before you appeared. Why?" I quizzed. I could feel a pang of familiarity when he blinked and stopped walking,peering at me. "W-What?" I stuttered, a little put off because of his intent stare.

What he had to tell me must have been important...

**3rd person P.O.V **

**X x**

Cilan stood, glued to the spot. He cleared his throat loudly and fiddled with his bowtie, suddenly refusing to meet her eyes. She found it undeniablely questionable as she advanced alittle towards him, touching his arm uncertainly. He tensed, but did nothing to stop her, so she brought her whole body closer and stared at him with a worried facial arrangement.

"Cilan?" She voiced timidly, fearfully. She had no idea what to expect, but she knew one thing for sure; she was definitely disturbed. His sudden stop was completely new to her. He'dalways been one tofocus on the task of getting further ever since she had told him _the scret_. Even before that actually. She watched as his eyes travelled to the locket, his eyes fixated on it with a certain glare. Iris, feeling briefly uncomfortable under his eyes, shuffled clumsily on her feet,kicking at loose dirt.

"Cilan?" She tried again, much more enforced this time, even shaking his arm a couple of times for good measures.

"Yes, yes. Sorry." He replied instantly, tearing his eyes away from her and onto the floor, before he began a brisk walk again. This time, it was Iris who was struggling to keep up with him as he strode forwards, even though she called his name on several occasions. She knew that he had heard her, and it certainly wasn't like him to ignore her. What was with him?

"Hey!" Iris yelled, grabbing his over-vest tightly between her fingers and refusing to let go until he stopped trying to resist her grip. Slowly, he halted entirely and turned, delayed, to face her, a shakey expression on his face. "What's with you?" She demanded angrily, narrowing her eyes so that they were thin slits, drilling them into him. He blinked, but apart from that, seemed unphased. He exhaled sharply, looking down at the floor and then back at her.

"I-I need to ask you something." Cilan pressed shakily. He looked abnormally pale, yet there was an excited element in his voice. It was quite a strange combination to say the least! Cilan's poke-ball shuffled and Pansage appeared, patting his master worriedly, a concerned frown etchedinto his furry face.

"Pan Pansage...?~" The little monkey dared, edging closer to him and jumping onto his mid-section, wrapping his tail around his arm expertedly. He smiled slightly, reaching an arm out topet Pansage before he assured him in a whisper:

"It's nothing. Return." And Pansage did as he was told, returning into his respectfulpoke-ball. Cilan pocketed the item and then turned to Iris again, a much calmer smile on his face, though it looked strained. _Forced _even.

"Right," He started, brushing himself off self-conciously whilst Iris spectated his behaviour with sharp, intelligent eyes. "Are you familiar with a group of people called "The Listeners"?" Cilan finished, his smile magically transforming into a frown in a blink of Iris' deep brown eyes. It was disturbing to see him so muddled up and confused, yet so sure at thesametime. Iris didn'tquite know which side of him she was to trust right now and so she simply listened to him, his voice wrapping itself around her, like a soothing lullaby or a snuggly blanket. And Iris welcomed it gladly, her intensity to listen only deepening.

"Uh, I've heard things." She answered, nodding her head a couple of times.

"Ah, I see. What have you heard, _Iris_?" He enquired. She notcied that he said her name differently. Almost like he was trying to make a link between her and a distant memory of his.

"Well, they're a group of people who have a rare gift. Said gift is that they seeinto the future, and see back into thepast. Like, if a situation went badly, then they could replay it back and fix it in their own minds. It wouldn't alter anything in reality, but in their own minds, they would go there again and fix their mistakes,making them perfect people in their own light. Which makes them dangerously arrogant,right?" Iris began to ramble, recalling anything and everything that she heard about the small group. They were only a minority, but it sure was a distance of being normal!

"Correct. And what about going into the future?" Cilan asked, pushing her even further, which caused her mind to reel a little bit. She wasn't used to having to think this hard andit was begining to make her head ache!

"Well, I thought it'd be obvious but, I've heard that basically, they can predict the future. Either that, or they go into the future and get stuck in a time rift, creating a problem in the real world because it has something to with the two legends, Dialga and Palkia, or something like that." Iris continued wearily, trying to think to how this could even relate to her.

"Yes. That's the basics of it. Well, they all hold a certain object that's very dear to them. Oh, and they've even been known to work alongisde the Shadow Triad a couple of unknowingly harm other people and that makes them dangerous to be around." He carried on explaining, Iris listening to him intently. Then, Axew popped out of her hair abruptively and sniffed the air,muttering it's name under it's breath repeatedly, frowning, asif it recognized a danger ahead or something along those lines. Iris, too busy focusing on Cilan, ignored her pokemon and his desperate chirrups for attention. She tryed to ease himinto quiet by pettinghim, but he still continued to bark it's name over and over.

"Stop it Axew!" Iris scolded, before bringing her attention back to Cilan. "Carry on?" She offered sheepishly, a bashful smile playing on her lips.

"Ah, right!" Cilan said whilst snapping his fingers. "What you said back there. It shows -"

He would have said more, but an extremely sudden flamethrower wrenched the pair of them apart and sent them ducking on the florr, hands defenisively over their heads in a desperate effort to protect themselves from the flickering flames that licked the very ends of their fingers and Iris' pigtails. She was paralyzed by fear and Cilan was begining to get shakey all over again. Axew dived into a patch of grass and shuddered and shivered to himself. Cilan even felt Pansage's poke-ball wiggle briefly in trapped fear and Cilan held itt ightly, as if to assure his beloved partner that he was here for him.

"Stop! We're here to help! Stay where you are, hands behind your backs!" Voices screamed at them as the pounding of feet progressed towards the pair of ducking escapees. The last part of their sentence made her blood run cold, and she felt herself lurch up and outwards, grabbing Cilan's hand tightly.

"Run for it!" She hissed, begining to drag the stumbling Connoisseur behind her. He yelped, tripping over, but he pulled himself up and began to run alongside her. "That's the police! I know it is!" Iris cried, running quick whilst dodging through trees and other obstacles, the objects standing there, obliviously jeprodizing her escape. She checked her head for Axew and felt a small grip on the very end of her left pig-tail, his cry inaudible over the velocity and speed of her sprint. The voices were fading, but Iris wasn't prepared to stop for anything. Or anyone. No now. She'd come too far to lose!

"Damn Chatot must have chattered." Cilan cursed whilst panting slightly. Iris was suprised at him and his uncharacteristic moment, but shook it off and focused on steadying her breathing pattern, for she knew one thing:

The chase was far from over...

**X x**

**Done! :D Listener's and Chases galore! xD**

**So sorry for the delay! School's making my updates slower because of homework and stuff! I know my GCSE's are in about two years (I'm thirteen now and will takethem when I'm (almost?) fiteen.), but you can never study too much for them! Besides, if I want a career with writing, possibly involving jouranlism and the publishing of my own book, I have to get good grades to get me there! :) **

**Reviews? Again I'm so sorry for the delay, damn school and I will try to make the next update quicker, I promise! (Isaid **_**Try**_**!)**

**Thanks for any and all support! You guys are amazing! :)**

**~Jess~**

**P.S: Do you think I could actually make a good author? Fun little question for you to answer in a review! ;D**


	15. Unsuspecting Hero

**Hey guys, it's me, Jesspikapal, but you probably already knew that! ;)**

**So anyways, here I am with the next chappie to "The Locket" and I'm gonna try my best to update quicker, though the problem with school-work remains the same I'm afraid. Anyways, your patience is deeply apperciated and doesn't go unnoticed by me! Thank you ever so much!**

**Please review? :3**

**Thanks for any and all support! :D**

**~Jess~**

**X x**

_The chase was far from over..._

**X x**

All they could do was run. Nothing more and nothing less and it felt extremely familiar to Iris; almost like she'd done this somewhere before. She could definitely make a link between it and something else. She just couldn't recall what the link was. And it was begining to iritate her deeply! She should know this! It could be very important and yet, she couldn't remember. Because maybe she really was a stupid girl, like John had told her on sereval occasions. And maybe she really was an idiot, much like Carrie had mentioned multiple times before in the past years that Iris had had the misfortune to live with the pair of them. Maybe. Maybe...

"Iris, look out!" She heard through her thick, cloudy thoughts and she immediately ducked under a branch that was fast approaching because of her speed with little effort. She distinctly heard Cilan breath out in relief and then turned her head back forwards, concentrating deeply and thinking with a cautious mind.

"Iris, do you think we could stop now? I can't hear them anymore. Maybe they turned and gave up?" Cilan suggested meekly through his weak intakes of breath, the fast running really starting to get to his lungs. Though they had only been running for a couple of minutes, the breath had been taken away from the pair of them once they had started.

"Gave up?" She screeched through her pounding feet. "Gave up? They're police. They won't give up until it's done! They want their next payment y'know, and if they can't complete the job, they'll get fired. So of course they'll try and get the job done!" She restlessly explained, her tone clearly annoyed.

"...You're right. I'm sorry. But still, we should stop for a little while. It's not good for us to run like this continuously." He retorted, keeping his head fixed ahead of him as not to lose track of his footing or surroundings.

"Y'know what else isn't good for us? _Me getting caught_!" She yelled, shouting the last part particularly irately as she glared at him for a brief second before she returned her eyes back to the road. Cilan stayed silent, trying his best to ignore the sting in his heart. It didn't do his heart any good when she was angry with him; in fact, it made him feel as if he could just shrivell up and die on the spot. It hurt that much. Eventually, his mind reeling, he slowed slightly and then stopped altogether. Iris, meanwhile, stumbled to a halt and then stomped back towards the phased Connoisseur.

"What's wrong with you? We have to move!" Iris growled, shaking him by the shoulders. The motion brought him back to life and he looked her in the eyes, watching her freeze momentairily.

"Iris, we have to stop." He stated firmly, gazing at her and he watched her falter breifly, much like he had back in the forest. His heart-rate picked up slightly...

"B-But, we don't have time." She stuttered helplessly. "They'll catch us if we don't move Cilan. I-I don't want you to get caught either." She confessed quielty in the silence of the forest.

"Why are you concerned for me?" He asked, though deep inside, he knew. He knew that she cared about him, no matter how well she hid it as she yelled and screamed at him. He knew that in reality, she was actually quite fond of him and his precarious yet intelligent antics and that she couldn't picture life without them. He just wanted - _no, needed_ - to hear her say it. He needed it so badly that he could feel his heart ache with anticipation as he waited for her to respond in silence.

"Because if you're found with me, then... You'll be seen as bad too. You'll lose your image, your fans, your work, possibly even your brothers trust and everything else. And I don't want to be the cause of that Cilan." She trailed quietly in the eerie silence of the forest. It felt so good to get that off of her chest, and yet so foolish at the same time; she had let him in and shown him a weakness to her that she had originally intended to keep hidden from him whatever the situation. But now she had said it, there was no way to cover it and so she allowed the words to linger in the air, unable to stop the meaning from flowing into his mind as an undeniable smile broke out on his face.

"I knew it. Thank you Iris..." He mumbled, pulling her into a short embrace, holding her close to him. Before she could even think of responding to him, he let go and stepped back from her. still grinning hugely.

She didn't say anything, only blushed slightly in silence.

"Do not move! We have you surrounded! Come quietly with your hands behind your backs!" Were the sharp orders that made Iris' blood stop dead; she could hear her heart hammering and her throat achng to scream, but she swallowed the urge with a ferocious growl, snarling venomously. She wouldn't be taken! Not now, not ever!

"They're bluffing," She snapped hysterically, tugging on Cilan's cuff, who was frozen with fear. "They don't really have us cornered. They'll say anything to make us give in. But we're not going to. We're gonna make it through, aren't we Cilan?" She asked, grabbing his shoulders as if to reassure him and gave them a quick shake once more, mirroring her earlier action, only this time with a new found urgency as a bright light hit the pair of them. Maybe it really was over for them or maybe...

"Take the corner. It's empty. We can get up that hillside, climb the cliff and then go back around. We can even go back to Striaton if you want; just get me away from here!" She begged him quietly, tugging on his vest with her eyes shimmering with desperation. Coming back to reality, he frowned. What should he do? Maybe it was time to return to normality and give in, but that would be selfish of him. He couldn't just allow her to be taken back; not on his dead body. But it would be so easy... Wouldn't it?

"Iris, maybe it's time to stop now..." He commented weakly, gripping onto her lower arms and refusing to release her, even as she struggled and pleaded against him.

"Cilan! We can't stop now. Y-You've helped me through so much. Taught me so much..." She breathed, her breath hitching in her throat as she felt the burning sensation of tears appear in her innocent eyes. He was just going to give up on her now? No way! Not without a fight.

"Iris..." He started, closing his eyes as he tried to think straight.

"No! Remember everything? The food, the cutlery lessons, Axew going missing, Nurse Joy, everything!" She interrupted angrily, looking as if she could slap some sense into him. "And now you're just gonna give up. I thought we... Had something. Something special, but, apparently, I was wrong..." She added, her voice growing to nothing more than a feeble whisper as a lone tear dribbled down her cheek. "But whether you go or not, I'm going. So, goodbye Cilan." She sighed, prying his arm from her as he had frozen upon listening to her words of anguish. Then, with one final glance, she turned and fled, ignoring the screams of the police and the flashing lights. She just had to get out, and not even a friend was going to stop her. Was he more than that: A friend? She wasn't sure. She;d never felt this way about anyone. _Ever_. Such strong emotion suprised her; it was all brand new. But in the end, it had turned out the same. Just with the bonus of her stupidity. She had trusted him with her deepest secret and now, there was nothing. No friendship, no trust and no privacy, because he already knew everything. He could chatter to whoever he wanted and then-

"I'd appreciate it if you listened to me." A voice sounded and she felt a gentle hand on her arm. Cilan? No, the fingers were much too chubby to be Cilan and his spindle-like digits.

"Who's this?" She stuttered, trying to look around but she couldn't see far enough; she could only just spot the edge of a large stomach as the person breathed in and out deeply, as if trying to keep their patience.

"...I'm an officer." The man replied and Iris immediately started to fight, shoving her fists into the hand that continued to linger on her arm, threatening to tighten and take her away anytime soon. It terrifyed her to think that and yet, it was going to. Sure enough, the fingers enclosed around her arm painfully and she squeaked in pain, stopping her struggle momentairily.

"I hate you..." She growled under her breath, still trying to slip from his grasp. Too bad miracles were all too difficult to find whenever one needed them the most.

"Shh, my name is Bill. I am the officer who has been working alongside your mother and father and I've come to collect and retrieve you in order to take you back to them. Do you understand?" His cold voice rang out and beat her ears angrily.

"Y-You don't understand. I can't g-go back." She muttered, feeling the pain lessen and he loosed his grip slightly. She was actually so used to Cilan and his gentle touch that she had almost forgotton what pain felt like. But now the realisation and the memories of said pain hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Why not? You have everything. A mother and father who love you, a roof over your head and a place where you can feel safe and secure. I'm not one to use force, but I will if I have to. Please understand, I mean you no harm." Bill explained professionally, none of his words link-able to a certain emotion. His whole persona seemed bleak and brainwashed, like he wouldn't think for himself. It scared her; there was no pity. No gentle vibe and definitely no friendly aura about him. Axew, all this time, had managed to keep expertedly still in the home of Iris' hair. He shivered minutely, taking as much information in as his young ears would allow him.

_Lies... Lies... Lies..._

"It's not like that." She replied quietly, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to regulate her breathing. She was beginging to feel helpless in the careless clutch of the police officers arm. "But that aside, where are your _friends_?" Iris spat, trying to appear nonchalent and unphased by his presence, though she felt quite the opposite.

"I told them to stay back so that I could speak with you and deal with you alone." Answered Bill as he shrugged his shoulders and dropped his arms to his sides, content with the feeling of authority as she trembled in his grip. She should be either too scared or too shocked to move. He had dealt with many of these cases before, so nothing about this case startled him; just her abnormal speed and strength was slightly alarming to his intellectual mind.

"So, you have no back-up?" She quizzed. Axew smirked to himself in the make-shift habitat of his trainers hair, the purple comforting him with it's familarity.

"Enough about me and my tactics. What are you running for, young Iris?" He questioned, apparently mocking her with his indifferent tone. She didn't like the way he said her name because she only liked it when Cilan said it. Him and his gentle voice could soothe anything, including her and her tough (yet fake) wall. To hear this voice say it only saddened her; she missed Cilan already...

"None of your business." She snapped icily, making an effort to come across as rude and intolerable. Then he might go away to get company and she could take her chance. But he wouldn't be so stupid; afterall, he was a police man.

"Oh it's all my business Iris." He retorted knowingly, as if he had had this conversation before. "I get a generous amount of money for this case. You _are _my business."

"No, you're only in it for the money. If it were up to you and the task-force, you would've refused. She's done something to you, hasn't she?" Iris glowered at him.

"Of course not, your mother would never be so cruel. She's a very respectful young woman, and I don't understand where you get your doubts from." He replied, somewhat defensively, though there was no inkling of doubt in Iris' mind that she was familiar with her mother's tricks. And she had used one very low and very selfish tactic indeed: Bribary.

"Don't act like you know my mother. You don't know anything, so why don't you just leave and run back to your fancy police cars?" Iris chided sarcastically, even going so far as to make walking gestures with her fingers as they ran up her arm, mocking him.

"Ah, well y'see, along with my "fancy police cars", I get fancy handcuffs, so here." Bill replied, equal sarcasm in his tone as he snapped a pair of handcuffs around her wrists before she could contemplate anything. Instantly once the realisation had kicked in, she began to scream. She screamed anything that came to mind as she was being dragged back towards the scene. Where she had first become aware of them. Where her and Cilan had parted ways...

"Somebody! Anybody! Help me! Please! _Cilan!_" She yelled in the silence of the forest, feeling the ache of being alone settle once more into her raging heart. Then, without another word, he hauled the defiant female over his shoulder and walked easily back through the trees. They weren't that far from where the cars were and so she didn't have much time to plan anything. She had to be fast and when she said fast, she meant _fast_.

"Axew!" She cried desperately. "Use scratch now!" She ordered, frightened beyond belief. Moments later, the small, dragon-like pokemon leaped from her hair high into the air, claws growing. Then, he began to decend, claws alight with energy and without warning, slashed them over the police officers face. Yepling, Bill dropped the female, and even with the handcuffs on, she managed to stagger to her feet. Then, grabbing Axew's tail non-too-gently, she yanked him towards her back and sat him in between the handcuffs, telling him to "Hang on tight!". She then ran as fast as she could; extremely difficult to do with handcuffs straining your hands. It affected her balance and she found herself stumbling on more than one occasion, but Axew's desperate yips and her own fright was more than enough to keep her motivated as she dodged through trees and danced through bushes.

But it still wasn't fast enough.

"C'mere!" She heard and in that second, she threw herself to the side in a last attempt to dodge the arms of Bill, who had leaped forward to grab her, blood present on his face as he sneered angrily. As a police officer, he was not allowed to harm her, but it honestly did look like he could smack her right there and then and it iinstantly reminded her of John. She whined and covered her face with with her shoulders, turning her face into the dirt whilst Bill breathed heavily, standing up shakily. "You are definitely more trouble than you're worth." She heard a voice growl in her ear and she instinctively pulled away, shrinking away from the cruel words.

"Let go of me!" She hissed, punching his back as she was once again lifted into his rough arms. She screamed and cried, but she refused to let any tears fall; she wouldn't lose, even though it seemed that way. Cilan would know what to do...

"Hold still. You're only making this more difficult for yourself. Listen to me when I say that all I'm going ot do, is take you back to your parents." Bill responded, alarmingly calm for someone who had just been scratched senseless by a tiny Axew. Especially when that Axew was owned by the escapee that he was trying to catch!

"No! You can't! She's evil! Let go of me!" She screamed in his ear and she saw him falter, his posture slumping as he tryed shrink away from the whole ordeal. He then grabbed her Axew by the foot and dangled him tantingly in front of her, her pokemon crying out to be saved. She couldn't, seen as though he wrists were trapped with handcuffs and so she watched helpessly, begging Bill with her eyes as not to throw him or harm him in any way. "Please..." She pleaded pityfully, trying to clasp her hands together in a begging gesture, but she couldn't.

"Be quiet, or the Axew gets it. Now come, I don't have all day. We're a very busy police force." And with that, Iris swallowed her pride and quietened down with one final: "Let go of me!"

"Good. Glad to know we understand each other Iris. Now come." Bill sneered, guiding her away as he dropped her onto her feet and gestured for her to follow him. She did so solemly, feeling even mroe hopeless than she had before. Nothing could save her now...

Except the unsuspecting smacking of her captor.

"The lady said _let go_." A familiar voice growled and Iris looked up, terrifyed, but her face softened when she saw who it was.

"Cilan!" She cried happily, ever so delighted to see him. To even look upon his gentle face was the priviledge of her life right about now and she took him in, swalloing his image shamelessly. He looked handsome with that branch in arm, an angry scowl on his face as he glared down at the unconcious police officer with an uncharacteristic hate.

"Iris!" He cried, running to her and pulling her close, noticing her bound hands a couple of seconds later. "He didn't harm you did he?" He questioned, checking her over from different angles and she collapsed into tears, the happiness too over-whelming to even breathe properly.

"Oh Cilan, I thought that you'd left me! I thought that-"

"Never." He stated possessively, clinging to her despite her chained hands causing a slight gap between them. He obviously didn't care as he stroked her back and took in her scent bravely, his heartbeat accelerating, as if on cue. "I would never leave you." He said a couple of seconds later, relishing in the feel of her gentle inhalation of breath. She was everything, and he couldn't live without her, as cliche as it sounded, even to his own ears.

"I-I just thought-"

"Nevermind. Just know that we're getting out of this together." He smiled weakly, reassuring her with a newfound strength that shone through in his dark green eyes. "I promise."

"Cilan, I-" But she was silenced by a burning sensation in her stomach and a tingley feeling upon her mouth. She instantly hushed and closed her eyes as she felt him kiss her tenderly amongst the sleeping body of the obnoxious chief officer. Though her hands were bound together, her hands were not completely useless as she grabbed onto his vest with a new-found passion, clinging to him as if it was the last time that they would ever meet. He shyly wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back soothingly, coming to rest on her waist as he pulled her closer to him. A small squeak of shock came from her mouth and he grinned; so like her. Not being able to do much else, Iris simply hung onto hiim, btu Cilan didn't mind. He could feel her heartbeat through his own chest and it was killing him. Their close proximity was only opening new desires to him as they kissed slowly yet passionately.

When he let go of her, she was breathing in deep, trying to calm herself. As was he as he held her close to him, not allowign her to move away just yet. If she was to be taken away, he would have at least the closure that he had had the courage to act upon his own wants. Something he rarely ever got to do because of his image. He was always so selfless as he continued to help people through their lives in Striaton City, one of the reasons he - and his brothers - were some of the most looked upon figures in the entire city. But this - this was just refreshing: The satisfaction and the relief from getting what he wanted for a change was simply amazing and he wouldn't have swapped anything for this precious moment. Not even his life.

"I'm sorry," He stuttered, though he so clearly wasn't. "I shouldn't have been so informal." He grinned, holding her by the waist to his body. The warmth suprised him and his heartbeat was slowly coming to a normal rate. Well, as normal as it would go with Iris around!

"Whatever. Formal, informal, it's all the same so long as you kiss me again." She replied with a wink, pulling him to her by what she could with her fingers, carefully placing her lips against his once more. This time however, this kiss was a short, yet sweet happening and it differed in many ways to the other one. This one was short. The other was long. This one was innocent. The other was actually, rather ravenous. But the one thing they both had was passion, just shown in different ways. The care and precision of this kiss was what made this one stick with them and the passion and feeling from the other kiss was what made that one special. Both of them were most definitely going to be treasured.

"We must get moving again. My plan is, if we go back to Striaton, then we can get the police from there. Plus, if anything, my brothers will be available there. They could be of some use to us if the police are aware of you." Cilan suggested with determination and his idea made Iris grin.

"Over the cliff?" She asked, though she already kenw that the answer was yes.

"Over the cliff." He repeated in confirmation, a dilligent smile etched into his face as he squeezed her hand tightly.

They were going to make it. In fact, in thier minds, they were _definitely _going to make it.

Together...

**X x**

**Done! :D **

**So, first kiss for you guys! :D**

**Reviews make me happy! :3**

**Thanks for any and all support, and also thank you for commenting on my question in the last chappie! Your feedback only motivated me further and I now believe that I actually have a chance. And it's all thanks to you and your wonderfulw ords! So thank you ever so much! Hugs for you! =^-^=**

**~Jess~**

**P.S: I was gonna wait till last chappie for this, but couldn't wait to ask, so I decided to ask now! :D Would you guys like it if there was SEQUEL to this story...? ... I'll leave you to think about it and please, reply in a review! :3 **


	16. Of Brothers and New Companions

**Hey guys, it's me, Jesspikapal, but you probably already knew that! ;)**

**So anyways, here I am with chapter sixteen of "The Locket". To be honest, I would've updated quicker, had I actually had some motivation. My inspiration for this story was dwindling, but I soon found some as I remembered about the handcuffs and little things, so, expect an average chapter with not that much action. The story is so dramatic as it is so... A little camlity won't hurt anybody! :)**

**So, reviews? Also, if you enjoyed this, there is Handcuffed to read. It's my newest CHAPTER Strawberryshipping fanfic and it's dying for some readers. Be the generous people you are and run on down if you find yourself with spare time on your hands! ;D**

**Thanks for any and all support. It does my heart good to get such pleasant reviwers. Wow, I actually never thought I'd even reach the "50" way mark with this story, so to see myself with "61" reviews, really makes me smile! Thank you ever so much! ^-^**

**~Jess~**

**X x**

_Together..._

_**X x**_

"Nope, it's not going to budge, I'm afraid." Cilan frowned as he removed his sharp knife from the lock of the shackles that surounded Iris' wrists invasively. They were begining to hurt now, with being so tight and tangled, and Iris didn't like it at all. And neither did Cilan.

"Oh, damn it!" She cried, stomping her foot in agitation and Cilan stroked her back tenderly, easing her into calming down.

"Don't fuss. We'll get them off as soon as we get back to Striaton." He smiled kindly at her, but she only seemed to look angrier.

"That's two whole weeks away!" She yelled, flailing what she could of her arms around frenzically and Cilan sweatdropped, an apoligetic, lop-sided grin appearing on his face.

Bashful, Cilan commented: "I suppose I never thought about it like that...". Iris stopped snarling and instantly fell quiet, feeling slightly guilty for yelling at Cilan. Afterall, he wasn't the one that had gotton her into this mess; it was her own, theoretically, fo running away. But saying that, it could also easily have been her parents fault as they made her run away. But then again - Oh, it was all so confusing! Iris, clutched her head, feeling a vague headache as thoughts whirled around her head

Still, one thought confused her. How had Cilan managed to draw a link between a group as notoriously dangerous and arrogant as The Listeners, and her? Did he suspect her? Did he not trust her enough to not doubt her? Not that she could blame him after she had lied to him about her one secret that she had to hide. The abuse and the pain was definitely something that he should have known a long, long time ago and yet she had hidden it from him. But it didn't matter now, seen as though he knew what was happening and he also knew her reasons. But The Listener subject was all so undefined, and it made her mind spin. She'd never met one, but she knew not to cross their paths...

"Oh Cilan, how are we gonna get back in time?" Iris cried, feeling weak and groggy. When was the last time she had even had a rest? She couldn't recall.

"In time?" He breathed, a questioning frown on his face as he stared at her intently, wrapping a slow arm around her shoulders. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, _we _don't have time to be staying around here, on the move or not. There's no transport, the word will be getting out,- maybe even be on the news -, and I'm going to be completely figured out, until they catch me." She replied quietly, staring hard at the floor and Cilan's face softened. Why the sudden lack of spirit? Why the sudden lack of fight? Why the sudden lack of _care_?

"No Iris," He smiled as he looked at a nearby mountain with a knowing smile. "We'll get there by tonight. I _promise _you."

"How?" She sighed, Axew rubbing her back silenty with his tiny claws. "All we have is our own feet. Even if we run, we'll not reach there in even three nights time!"

"We won't have to run. Or walk." He grinned, narrowing his eyes in determination at the collosal moutain. "Because I have an idea..."

**X x**

"Cress quick! Come look at this!" Chili cried as he pointed to the TV, flailing his arms around comically.

"Hmm? What are you going on about now Chili? That's the third time you've told me to run to you. Is it really worthwile this time?" Cress replied boredly, not giving Chili even a glance . The red-haired brother grew bored and resulted to tugging his blue-haired brother by the cuff and towards the TV.

When reaching there, Cress gawked, not believing what he saw.

"It's Cilan!" Chili grinned, jumping manically.

"And a girl." Cress added, staring for a second. "What are they doing on the news?"

"Read the headline. There's probably something on there." He asnwered and Cress shrugged, thens at down in a chair, crossing his legs firmly. Chili followed suit, crumpling into a messy heap on the floor as they spectated the many news stories with care. Eventually coming to the one they wanted, they instantly hushed and listened carefully, intently.

_"Striatons Latest! We now interrupt your broadcasting to announce this special title. Cilan, Striaton's notorious gym leader, one of three, is known to be accompanying a run away, helping her to escape form the police. His whereabouts is unknown as he moves areas every day, mostly by night, though sitings of the pair of them have been noticed by many bystanders and civillians. If you see this "dreamboat"," _A picture of Cilan came up on the screen. Chili shrugged.

"I say they got his bad angle..."

"Be quiet!" Cress hissed, and Chili pulled a childish face.

_"Or this escapee," _A picture of Iris showed up moments later and Chili smirked.

"They didn't catch _her _bad angle." And Cress simply rolled his eyes, ignoring his brothers flirty tendancies. One day, he would love for him to fall for a complete... Girl that was a flirt. Then he'd know to stop all of that rubbish. Afterall, it wasn't proper. A knock on the door sounded and Chili immediately stood up.

"I'll get it. Could be the mailman with Cilan's reply."

"How could he possibly have the time? He's on the news!" Cress retorted, outstretching his arms in disbelief.

"Could be a chance! Geez, have a little faith Cress." Chili frowned, before walking off and Cress huffed, turning back to the television.

_"Please, don't be hesitant to give Striaton Station a call. Apparently, attacks were also issued when young officer Bill tried to arrest the unruly teen, though whether or not this information is reliable has yet to be investigated by Striaton's best task force. We now conclude this shocking story; on with the weather!" _And Cress sighed, switching the television off with a flippant press of the button on the remote and then hung his head in his hands, thinking hard. What had Cilan even gotton himself into?

Meanwhile, Chili had had a suprise indeed. There stood a small, yet perky female with red hair and blue and orange clothes on. She wasn't... That bad looking actually, now that he thought about it, with her long legs and her sharp eyes, but that wasn't the case. The case was that she was holding a letter.

"Is this yours?" She breathed and Chili gently accepted the letter, reading his and his brothers names on the front, written in terribley neat and familiar writing.

"Uh yes... Thanks. Where did you get this?" He asked, catching her dark blue eyes with his for a moment before he let on a charming smile, though she didn't seem phased.

"Oh, I saw some of those kids from down the block take it from your doorstep, though from a distance, I couldn't be sure. I'd already been round next door and they said that it was the next-door house, which is this one."

"Oh well, thanks alot!" He replied with bright eyes, before he began to shut the door. However, she stuck her foot in the way.

"Wait, is your brother... Cilan, by any chance?" She asked, as if she was trying to remember something vital and Chili nodded.

"Yes. He is. Together, we're the Striaton Trio." He replied uncertainly. "Why?" Her face lit up in understanding and her eyes seemed to shift with urgency.

"Can I come in for a moment? I need to talk to you..."

**X x**

"Are you not gonna tell me yet?" Iris giggled as Cilan pulled her gently alongside him by the hands, being careful not to upset the handcuffs around her wrists. He smiled a kind-hearted smile and tightened his grip.

"Doesn't matter. We're here now! Ah, like a cool glass of lemonade on a summers day filled of hard work, the climb was definitely worth it." He sighed and Iris raised an eyebrow, a fond smile on her face. She'd never quite understand his "Connoissuer Speak", but she would always expect it. It would be extremely unusual if she wasn't to hear it anymore and she knew that she didn't want him to leave anytime soon.

Atop the mountain was definitely majestic in view. The tops of clouds could be seen as they poked their heads through the sly little holes of mist and flocks of small birds flew overhead, even some rare breeds. But it didn't seem as if Cilan was particularly interested about all of that, mainly a steep, rocky ravine pinpointed just down from the mountain that they could easily access if they just slid down with care. Which is apparently, what Cilan planned to do as he pointed enthusiastically downwards and towards the rocks. Iris gave him an uncertain expression, hands clasped tightly in front of her.

"I don't know Cilan. It looks pretty dangerous." She muttered, watching as a couple of pebbles broke off from the very edge of the large rock and fall the unmistakebley terrifying drop to the bottom of the mountain, where they could hear the faint tinkle of them hitting the floor and across the dusty dirt-track.

"Iris, come on. I'll go first and you can follow me. I'll be there to catch you, so don't worry." He assured with a friendly smile and their kiss slipped it's way into his mind as he looked her over with gentle eyes. That had been some kiss and he hadn't yet regretted a thing. He doubted he ever would.

"...Alright." She voiced uncertainly, watching as he placed one foot on an angle, placed his other foot behind him and then carefully slid down the rocks, tripping ever so slightly as he reached the bottom, though a flamboyant swish of the hands covered it up remarkabley.

She moved to follow him, a confident smile on her face and she copied his movements, sliding down accurately.

Until she reached a dent in the rock.

She tripped messily and landed on her knee's, still slipping down. As she tried to stop herself from going overboard into Cilan, she curved her feet and instantly changed direction, heading towards the edge of the cliff. Screaming in fright, she dug her heels into the floor and successfully stopped at the very edge, breathing heavily and eyes wide with inexplicable fear. If she fell from here...

"Iris, I need you to listen to me." She heard in a suprisingly calm voice, as she stood up, steadying herself with her swaying arms, slowly coming to a straight standing position. Oh, this was much different from a tree; there were no safety precautions - vines and numerous branches to grab onto - and there was no fun in being susupended in the air, being seemingly forced to choose between life and death. However, she propped her head up and looked at him, focusing on his voice and she fell still momentairaly.

"I need you to jump." He whispered and a look of fright crossed her face.

"Jump? Are you kidding me?" She cried, stumbling once more as her foot moved closer to the edge.

"Iris, have I ever let you down before?" He asked patiently and she met his eyes. His captivating eyes. "I'll be here for you!" He called to her, adding it on in a last attempt to get her trust. She nodded, but still wore an uncertain expression on her face as she pushed herself to the very edge, watching her world teeter on the edge, much as she was doing. It was extremely difficult to keep balance with handcuffs around her wrists.

"Just move!" He urged and she instantly felt a wave of nostalgia. Where had she heard that simple line before...

"B-But what if I don't make it?" She called back, cupping her mouth as she did so and then immediately regretting it as she swayed over the edge.

"Just trust me!" Cilan cried back, holding his arms open in an inviting gesture and she instantly felt safer. She could do this.

"Alright Cilan! Here goes nothing..." She yelled, throwing herself in the direction of her beloved Connoisseur, only to grasp his hand tightly with both of hers. He wasn't lying when he said that she could trust him; here he was, fearless as always, there for her and all she could do was stare stupidly.

"Iris, I'd appreciate a little help." He grinned sheepishly and she immediately woke up and snapped out of her dazed state, placing her feet to the cliff-side and helping the struggling waiter to hoist her up. Once safely on the platform, Cilan pulled her into his arms and quivered with fright.

"Oh thank goodness. At least you're safe! I told you I wouldn't let you down." Cilan whispered in her ear and she allowed his melodious voice to serenade her heart tenderly, taking it it shamelessly.

"I trust you Cilan. So, shall we get going?" She asked with a shakey smile, still slightly overwhelmed by the tension from almost slipping. Losing grip would have resulted in losing life, and that thought alone was enough to shake anybody up!

"Yes, we should." He grinned, reluctantly letting go of her hand and allowing her to trail behind him.

That's when it happened...

**X x**

"And that's how I know your brother. Y'gotta listen to me when I say that preppy boy and Iris are _really _close, even just by looking at them!" The red-head cried, flapping her arms around, leaving Chili to watch her, clearly amused.

"I listened to you." He smiled, sitting beside her and shuffling near her. "And it's Cilan." He corrected, kicking his feet back on the coffee table, the female following suit, much to the suprise of Chili. Noticing his curious glance, she shifted slightly, but didn't remove herself.

"What? You expected a fangirl who does anything and everything to impress you?" She chided sarcastically, giving him a flat expression and he was shocked to say the absolute least.

"Well, sorta... Yes." He stated, fascinated. This girl certainly was a strange specimen indeed if she wasn't affected by his charming looks and witty comments!

"Get used to it." She replied and he raised an eyebrow.

"And uh, who do I have the pleasure of addressing?" He asked formally, like he was taught to do, and she gave him a strange look, raising her own eyebrow in competition.

"Don't play polite with me, _sir_. And uh, it's Ruby." She responded, looking up nonchalently at the ceiling.

"Ruby, a pretty name y'got there. Perfect name for you." Chili winked and Ruby blinked, then smiled, patting his upper arm and he grinned inwardly. This was how it was supposed to be.

"Chili...Hmm... Perfect name for a Doofus like you." She beamed, patting his head and he was left to gawk, simply registering the information slowly.

"I can't believe you just said that to me..." Chili breathed, staring straight ahead, arms still outstretched in front of him. She smirked at him and ran a hand down his arm, watching him for a moment with sharp eyes.

"Oh believe it Doofy... So, about that letter of yours..."

**X x**

How this had even happened was beyond him. One second he was holding her tightly, promising her things once they got back to Striaton and then here they were now, falling through through the air.

"Iris, before things go to the worst, I need to say something. I need to say that I l-!-" But Cilan was cut off as a screech filled the air. Not a human screech at that.

"Pansage!" Pansage cried, emmiting from it's poke-ball on it's own, whilst pointing downwards.

"Isn't that a-"

"Flygon!" Said pokemon screamed, angry as it performed a striking u-turn and then shot towards them like a missile, speed obvious as it hurtled towards them.

"It's a Flygon!" Cilan cried.

"And it looks mad!" Iris added, grasping Cilan's hand tightly with both of her hands and he squeezed them tightly, silently assuring her and promoting the best. It couldn't possibley end like this. Charging up an attack, Pansage narrowed his eyes and fired a bullet seed, though it appeared to do little damage. Panicking, Iris let go of Cilan's hand and pulled Axew into a tight cuddle, praying with all her heart that the Flygon would just leave and then there would be no confrontation. Just a fourty foot drop to deal with would be all...

"Just to let you know Iris, this wasn't my plan! I was aiming for something smaller and less... Fierce." Cilan breathed.

"Axew, what are you doing?" Iris yelped as Axew jumped out of it's trainers hands and downwards towards the terrifyingly beautiful pokemon. Angry, he charged his little claws and scratched to his hearts content, but the attack wasn't doing anything. Then, apparently thinking things through, Axew changed it's tactic and scratched at the red eye of the Flygon. It screeched in pain, it's form begining to weaken from the pain; little but direct.

"Ax..." The little gray pokemon breathed, concentrating hard.

"What's going on?" Iris screamed above the raging velocity of their downfall.

"I think... Axew may be learning... New move!" Cilan called back as best he could over the loud whistle of the wind. Their landing wasn't too far off now...

"Axew!" Iris' pokemon shouted and a huge beam of swirling energy came pouring from his mouth, nagry and in no way refined. But, if it was enough to knock the Flygon off of it's path, then everyone was proud; heck, they were proud that Axew had been brave enough for the confrontation in the first place!

"That's dragonbreath!"

Flygon cried and in one swift movement was underneath them. Smacking onto it's back with sharp, painful landings, the Flygon pulled itself up, determined to throw them off with an angry _swish _of it's tail, only to fail as the humans held on for their lives. Literally.

Turning so that it's back was facing the floor, it shook the trainers, until their grip loosened and then turned violently onto it's front in hopes of sending them tumbling, only for Iris to catch Axew and for Cilan to ready an unexpected command.

"Pansage, use solarbeam!"

And Pansage did as he was told. Since they weren't that far from the sun, it didn't take so long to charge and was instantly out, burning a hole into the enraged pokemon's back. Flapping it's wings violently, it growled out:

"Flyyy..." It was getting weaker.

"Axew, use-"

"No Iris! Wait, let me try something!" Cilan called, getting a poke-ball out of his pocket and pressing the button on it and allowing it to expand in his hand. Iris gave him a enstranged look.

"Cilan, it's too angry! There's no way it will let you catch it now!" Iris hollered above the racing wind. Not much at all to go now, though Flygon had given them slightly more time.

"Trust me!" Cilan retorted, a determined flash on his eyes. The same flash that she had fell infatuated with so easily. From the moment that she had seen him, she kenw there was something about him that would leave her wondering.

"...Fine." She found herself saying and she simply clutched Axew tightly to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut. This wasn't the end, was it? Not when they'd come this far, surely. Life wouldn't do that to her... Would it?

"Pansage!" He called and the green monkey gave him instant attention, legs raised in a ready-to-fight position, a determined frown on his fluffy face.

"Bullet seed. Aim for the wings!" He commanded and Pansage, as predicted, did as he was told, spitting seeds a lie a minute, in which led to another weakening yelp of the Flygon beneath them.

Then, without further ado, he threw the poke-ball at it and closed his eyes tightly, praying and hoping with all of his heart.

"I need this... For my survival... For Iris' survival...For Pansage and Axew... I need this..." Cilan prayed silently and that's when he heard the ring of a captured pokemon. Overjoyed, he uncharacteristically fist-pumped into the air, then regained a serious frown on his face and grabbed the poke-ball.

Not far...

"Go, Flygon!" Cilan ordered and sure enough, a weak Flygon appeared in a dazzling sparkle of light.

"Flygon!" It roared, before it instinctively flew beneath it's trainer to protect him from harm. As if it had just completely forgotton about their struggle in the sky, and the fights between their pokemon. As if it had forgotton the pain that they had caused it and the work they were demanding from it, even though it didn't know it yet. They had to get to Striaton somehow.

"Good job." Cilan praised and Flygon growled at him. So maybe it hadn't forgotton about it quite yet. All the same, it kept him afloat and so he simply pointed to the falling female.

Iris and the pokemon that was.

"Go get them too." Cilan told him, trying to stay calm. "Please be fast." And Flygon nodded, narrowing it's eyes and shooting towards the falling trio. To make things less complicated, Cilan recalled his monkey pokemon as to give Flygon a little less work.

The ground could be clearly seen now as everything shot towards it, the gravatational pull to strong to resist.

"Cilan!" Iris screamed in a final attempt to be heard and then notied how far she was. Three more seconds she reckoned.

Three...

"Iris, we're coming!" Cilan called out worriedly, though deep in his heart, he knew she wouldn't hear him. He patted Flygon encouraginly on the side of his head and silently urged it to go faster. Apparently, it was a male as Cilan caught a glance of the pattern on it's wings.

Two...

"This is it... After everything I've ever done to get away..."

"Flyygon!" The brave pokemon cried, making it's body as flat as it could as to increase speed. It was getting there!

One...

"Oh well, at least, in a way, I get my wish." Iris whispered to herself as she cradled Axew for the last time that she would ever touch him, crying silent tears of both fright and rejection. Where was Cilan? She needed him, she needed him now.

She could feel her arm smack into the ground with a _crack_, but none of her body followed suit.

"What the...?" Iris asked before she dared to peer up, only to see green. Green directly in front of her face. Flygon's foot?

"Iris!" She heard, but she was too shocked to answer as Flygon began pulling her up it's body; she simply clutched Axew in a deathly grip, making the pokemon choke for breath briefly. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes, feeling lightheaded. Was she dead...?

No, she could clearly feel a hand on her face. And a scaly material underneath her leggings. No, she was still there.

"Iris!" She heard a second time and she ebgan to realise that she was suspened upon Flygon's back, Cilan's soft hand on her face as he begged her to look at him, though she couldn't quite hear that yet.

"Iris, can you hear me?" A worried voice murmured in her ear and she shook her head violently, trying to clear her head of the fuzzy feeling.

"I hear you..." She whispered, still feeling faint, though she could feel the cold brush of the metal lying limply around her wrists. Still, though the side looked cracked. Had that been what had cracked upon impact with the floor...? She hoped so. She'd much prefer that to her arm any day.

"Fly~" Flygon cooed, feeling unwanted and forgotton and Cilan petted him with a happy smile.

"Thank you." He grinned, burying his face into the hard skin of his new companions back and Flygon made a throaty sound of appreciation, crooning into his touch gratefully. "Iris?" He dared and she gave him instant attention, looking him in the eyes, her breathing still ragged. She was still, indeed, shaken beyond belief.

"Yes?" She breathed, still clutching Axew.

"Oh thank goodness. I'm so glad you're ok! I'm sorry I didn't get there quicker..." Cilan whispered, pulling her into a shivering hug, holding her close to him. After a minute, he slowly let go of her and patted Flygon. Then with a determined smirk, he turned to Iris.

"Hold onto me." He commanded, gesturing to her captive hands and she did as she was told without saying a word, her locked arms going over his head and around his stomach.

"Cilan, where are we going now? Where are you taking us?" She questioned meekly, giving him an interested expression and he smiled genuninely at her.

"We're going home..."

**X x**

**DONE! :D**

**REVIEWS MAKE ME SMILE AND FLYGON GET FRIENDLIER! YAYZ FOR RUBY AND CHILI'S MEETING! :) Though that wasn't how they really met... ;( You'll have to read "Strawberryshipping Alphabet", letter "M" to know that! :D**

**PLEASE REVIEW! IWORKED SO HARD ON THIS, IT BURNS! D: ... ;D**

**~Jess~**


	17. Reunited Families and Familiar Friends

**Hey guys, it's me, Jesspikapal, but you probably already knew that! ;)**

**So, here's the next chapter to "The Locket" and I hope you enjoy! I've updated so quickly because, one, I'm on half-term holiday from school, so I have some time and two, I have a vague idea of what to do with the remaining chapters of this story, so I'll write it out before I forget and get stuck again! xD**

**So please, review! Thanks for being so generous and giving me your reviews. Also, I'm gonna start working on an original story too so... Wish me luck! :D Remeber that Strawberryshipping is still available for any of you that are interested, and enjoy the chapter! :)**

**Thanks for any and all support! **

**~Jess~**

**X x**

_"We're going home..."_

_**X x**_

_"Listen to me Iris." _The voice whispered in her ear. She tried her best to ignore it, simply clinging to Cilan tightly as they made their way back to Striaton. She rather enjoyed his brothers, from what she'd seen of them, and she was more than happy to go back home with Cilan, and simply live life there. But this voice, it hadn't left her alone since the journey began.

_"Iris. I know you can hear me." _It stated. _"Answer me."_

"What?" She seethed, barely audioble as she turned her head, disguising herself by pretending to nuzzle Cilan's back. Well, half-pretended; she rather required some comfort right now. She could swear she'd heard this voice before.

_"Good. Finally. About time," _The voice mocked arrogantly. _"It's dangerous in Striaton. The place is riddled with cops; you'll never make it out."_

"I don't need to make it out. I'm staying there with Cilan. Forever. Don't you try and tell me that I can't! I won't leave the only person who's taken care of me!" She murmured, outraged, making sure to give whoever-it-was, a good telling-off!

"Did you say something, Iris?" Cilan asked kindly, turning his head to look at her, that same good-natured smile etched brightly into his face. The smile that she had become infatuated with. The face that she had become mesmerised by, as time grew longer. The person that she felt herself falling for. She knew she was. She already had some sort of feeling from him, even from the begining (throughout the hate and resent), but now, said feelings were much stronger. But they were foreign, and that's what frightened her slightly. She didn't know how to cope witht hem, for they were a completely new terrain to travel on.

"No, no!" She cried, a little quicker than necessary. "I'm just fine here."

"That's good. We're just passing route four now, so we should be in Striaton in about five to ten minutes, depending on how Flygon holds up. He's still quite weak from that battle we had." Cilan explained, growing slightly sheepish towards the very end of his sentence. Iris smiled, and then closed her eyes, simply enjoying the feeling of being airborn. Even as a child in her room, she had dremt of flying. Then she could actually leave the place without worry; afterall, cops were not bound to catch a person who was capable of flight. If they came near her, she could just fly away again, and life would go on. It'd be perfect!

_"You really trust him, huh?" _The voice whispered, sounding like it was in approval, which was different from what she was used to.

"Of course..." She replied, a small smile on her face as she answered absentmindedly, her mind far away from any of the pain. The scars, they'd heal with time, but Cilan had fixed the most important thing that she had to offer. Her heart. He had mended and pieced together what was left of everything and helped her to create a better life, sintead of constantly living in fear. And it felt great. She knew that her parents had been hiding something from her by the rate that they had kept her indoors, probably to make sure that she avoided seeing what life was supposed to be like, and then deem what she received to be abnormal. That was their reasoning afterall, she was sure of it. But abnormal wasn't the word, or it wasn't the only word to describe her parents dsigusting behaviour. It was sick, inhumane and downright wrong, and how _right _it felt to be getting away.

For good...

**X x**

"Just lift your arms up." Cilan laughed and Iris blushed, embarrassed, carefully unhooking her arms from around the green haired Connoisseur's torso.

"Sorry..." She breathed, still flustered.

"Don't apoligise, Iris!" Cilan assured, a friendly smile on his face and she couldn't help but smile back. The voice, from what she could tell, had lied, as the streets seemed full of normal people, shopping and whatnot, but no police. Not as far as her keen eyes could see, and she instantly breathed a sigh of relief, daring to smile. Maybe it wouldn't be so hard afterall.

"Let's just get to the gym. We picked a good time to come actually seen as though the restauraunt is closed today for decorating. A good time indeed." He grinned, taking her dark hand (still handcuffed) in his, grabbing a poke-ball with his free one. "Return Flygon." He commanded. And Flygon did as he was told, disappearing in a red streak of light with a hefty cry.

"Hey!" They heard and they both turned around to look where the voice had come from. Without a second to spare, a set of rough arms grabbed them by their collars and yanked them across a road and into a nearby ally-way.

"Let go of us!" Iris cried, before a firm hand went over her mouth, her hands useless as they were trapped together. Cilan suffered the same, as a tight hand clasped over his mouth, until the pair of them died down, ready to accept their fate head on.

"P-Please," Cilan stuttered, glancing at Iris desperately. "Just let her go."

"Cilan-"

"I'm not here to hurt either of you." The strangely familiar voice chided, still holding on tightly.

"Don't we know you?" Cilan asked, trying to turn his head to see, but to no avail. Iris thought hard, thinking back through her whole journey with Cilan. All of the faces came back to her. Chili, she recognised, Cress, she recognised, Nurse Joy, Bill, the police officer; she recognised them all, and yet, she knew it was none of those. Who was she missing...?

"Sure do." The femenine voice replied and Iris' face immediately broke into a smile. A large, wide, undeniable smile that made her feel truly alive with happiness.

"Ruby?" She questioned quietly and Cilan turned to her, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"The one and only." She voiced arrogantly, a smirk resting on her face, though the others couldn't see. "Now, when I let go. Do. Not. Scream." She ordered quietly, and the other two nodded so quickly it was a wonder their heads didn't snap. Slowly, she released them and the two kept to their word, not daring to make a sound. She was ever so strong for a small female...

"What are you doing back in Striaton?" Cilan asked in a reserved tone, straightening his collar out and adjusting his bow-tie. She only shrugged, whilst Iris tried to contain her happiness; she really liked Ruby, and she was sure that they could make great friends over time, though now wasn't the right time to be fantasising about her supposed friendships, but time to be paying attention. Deep and hard attention.

"Meh, got bored with the whole Nacrene City outlook, so I turned and headed back here. Besides, this prissy little bird flew off with my hat and I chased the little bandit all the way to route four, where it just got tired and ditched me. Great pokemon you have around here." Ruby answered Cilan, shrugging sarcastically. "I didn't wanna have to walk all the way back to where I was, so I just headed back to Striaton 'cause it was closer. I had fun annoying your brothers by the way." She added, winking.

"Annoying? Or _flirting_?" Iris couldn't help but pitch in sharply, using her own sense of humour and Ruby turned to her, an approving smile on her face. Iris held back a smile so that it wouldn't ruin the snarky aura of her statement and simply stared at the red-head with confident brown eyes.

"You're not bad." She commented, looking Iris up and down for a moment, before nodding firmly. "Quite the snide sense of humour y'got there."

Iris merely shrugged. "Glad you appreciate it." She retorted and Ruby raised her eyebrows, amused.

"Hmm... Anyways, you're probably wondering why I dragged you here in the first place, yes?" She continued, inspecting her finger-nails boredly.

"Yes actually, we'd rather appreciate that." Cilan smiled bashfully.

"Well, y'know what I'd appreciate? You two telling me what you're doing _on the news?_" She hissed, ignoring her "be quiet" rule as she glared venomously at the pair of them. "What were you thinking?"

"We're on the news?" Cilan questioned and he turned to Iris, who looked panicked and shaken. Hardly the response she had expected from him: All the response she had expected from her.

"I knew there was something fishy going on. I knew it was sketchy, even by the way you were so desperate to move back when we were getting Axew back - who I'm glad to see is still in one piece - from the forest!" She cried, obviously offended that they hadn't told her sooner.

Iris stayed silent, looking away, whilst Cilan fumbled with the cuff of his shirt, staying eerily silent also.

"Well?" She demanded, stomping her foot, getting the two's attention with a snap of the head. "Y'know, I already know that you're running away because the news said so. From what I don't know, but we'll talk about this later. For now, we have to get back to the gym!"

**X x**

"Changed your mind yet?" Chili smirked at her, nudging her by the arm.

"You're kidding right?" She responded boredly, and Chili fell flat, crossing his arms, obviously feeling dejected. Then noticing his brother walk in, he immediately ran over to greet them, whilst Ruby turned to Cress.

"Will you come deal with her now?" Cress questioned expectantly, staring Ruby in the eyes.

"Whatever. Show me to the bitch." She shrugged and Cress frowned, not impressed by her language at all.

"You know, if you're going to be here, you should probably brush up on your manners first." He scolded with narrowed eyes and she waved him off dismissively, rolling her eyes.

"But look at this. Doesn't have the same effect: Please, escort me to the unpleasant lady." And Cress rolled his eyes, defeated. Though he didn't approve, he had to admit that she was right! Taking her out of the room and into the kitchen, they disappeared from sight.

"So Cilan, how are things? We saw you on the news, me and Cress - well, I didn't see all of it 'cause that's when Ruby came - but we both saw your pictures. So, what's life like on the run, eh?" He grinned, nudging Cilan characteristically and Cilan shook his head fondly. Though Chili had the wrong end of the stick (thinking being a runaway was exciting and daring), he couldn't just sweep aside his hot-headed attitude. He'd rather missed it actually, with only his callous words on paper to refer to in his times of lonliness, it had really been rather lonesome. Cress too.

"Alot harder than it looks. You know, I'm not quite sure why you seem so excited about it." Cilan smiled bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's just 'cause you're not doing it right." Chili commented flippantly and Cilan scoffed. Iris marvelled; he seemed alot more at ease with his brothers, like he was comfortable to just be that little less formal and have fun. Not that he was wasn't fun, rather he was afraid to be when people were around because of his stainless repuatation.

"Hey, it's harder than it looks!" Iris defended Cilan and Chili shrugged, then smirked.

"Say, you two are quite the pair. Iris... So this is the girl you've been mentioning in your letters a whole lot, hmm?" Chili suddenly rounded on Cilan and his mouth opened, about to protest, Iris blushing madly. He mentioned her? And more than once?

"W-Well, I-"

"No need to lie about it." The red-headed male smiled mischieviously. "Even Cress noticed. So, have you kissed her yet?" He grinned, still nudging him.

"Chili!" Cilan cried and said waiter backed off slightly, his hands held up defensively.

"Whatever, I'm just glad you're back home. And... Safe too. So uh, yeah..." He trailed, getting uncomfortable with the open display of affection and Cilan smiled fondly, shaking his head briefly. "Now, let's go see what she's doing..."

"Who?" Iris quizzed, tugging on his arm tog et him to listen. It worked as he turned and faced her, a cunning smile on his face.

"Oh Ruby. You know her right?" He questioned to Iris and she smiled, taking her turn to poke fun.

"Sure do. And uh, she had something to say about you actually..." She grinned, nudging Chili good-naturedly and he grinned in return, raising his eyebrows. Cilan smiled and rolled his eyes at Iris for encouraging him and his hasty behaviour, that same fond smile printed on his face. Secretly, he was ever so gleeful that Iris and Chili were getting along; it made things a whole lot easier for him!

"Probably calling me a Doofus again hmm? Yeah, it's her thing..." He replied to Iris' claim, sighing outwardly whilst crossing his arms across his chest, deflating conspicuously.

"Oh no. She had something _else _to say about you. Something along the lines of you being, hmm, what's the word...?" Iris trailed teasingly, mocking him and he shook his head quickly, trying to rid himself of the tension, before he grabbed her shoulders gently, shaking her jokingly, though his face was still serious.

"Tell me. The word." He breathed and Iris giggled, laughing at his insecurity.

"Cute." She spilt, smiling widely. Chili pulled back, blinked and then smirked that smooth smirk of his, combing a hand through his red hair.

"Heh... I knew it. I damn well knew it!" He cried egotistically, marching off in the vague direction of the kitchen, disappearing behind the doors.

"Woah!" Cilan and Iris both heard. "What have I walked into?"

**X x**

Shortly after Chili's strained cry, Cilan and Iris, had given each other curious looks and then filed into the kitchen, questioning before they even knew what was happening. Upon further inspection, Iris could clearly see Cress and Chili both holding an enraged looking Ruby back, whilst this prissy looking girl smoothed out her clothes.

"She is unbelievable!" The unrecognisable girl cried, pointing an accusing finger at Ruby, a disapproving frown on her face.

"I know right?" Chili groaned out whilst being pulled forwards slightly, raising his eyebrows and Ruby whacked him on the arm, still slowly struggling forwards, even with the two boys clinging to her sides.

"What's going on here?" Cilan asked and Iris clung to him as much as she could with her chained hands, the confrontation scaring her. Cilan cradled her softly, smiling a serene smile at her head, and kissed the top of her purple hair as all attention was diverted on the scene.

"I was here, trying to organise something and _she _comes in here, telling me how to do my job!" The angry female yelled, and Iris cringed. Her voice was irritating already...

"Oh that's rich!" Ruby yelled against Chili's strong hold - Cress had given up upon exhaustion - and came to stand next to Cilan, leaning slightly against his shoulder, catching his breath back. "You're the one who's parading around here in those stupid high heels and those slutty clothes of yours, trying to enforce your company when it's obviously not wanted!" Ruby growled, finishing her sentence.

"Slutty?" The girl demanded. "You're just jealous 'cause I'm prettier than you!" She argued, getting slightly closer to the red haired female, feeling angry and dejected.

"Are you kidding me? Casey, I could wipe off ninety percent of your "pretty" with a wet paper towel!" She snapped back sarcastically. Chili scoffed, turned his head away and kept his laughter to himself.

"So she's Casey?" Iris whispered to Cilan throughout the girls' bickering and pointless arguing. "Have you ever seen her before?"

"No, never." Cilan replied shortly, turning to Cress. "Have you?"

"...Yes actually. She's part of a catering business; apparently she's touring Unova, looking for restauraunts, and she's deemed ours fit. All she needs is permission to stay within the walls in order to investigate everything properly. She's also amongst the decorating team that we called for about a month ago, so, she'll be staying here to do that as well. Think about it, it's the least we can do to offer her hospitality considering she's going to have such a big job on her hands." Cress explained tiredly, smiling apoligetically. Cilan nodded in understanding.

"So she'll be practically living here?" Cilan asked, clarifying it.

"Yes. For now. That's her purpose here anyway, though she was slightly... Touchy when it came to meeting me in person so... I called on Ruby. For a rude, insolent teen, she knows how to handle people when it comes to saying no." Cress replied, shrugging. "Yes, things got a little out of hand, but it looks like Ruby's about to get bored anyway. She'll probably just go back to berating Chili some more."

"She gives him a hard time?" Iris enquired, turning to Cress. He delivered her a short smile.

"Only the worst. Look, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you need. Any friend of Cilan's is a friend of ours." The blue haired waiter told her meaningfully, smiling genuinely for a short moment, before he fell blank once more.

"Ruby?" Cilan called, and the girls attention diverted from the arguement, leaving Casey to mumble to herself, feeling rejected and suddenly empty.

"Yeah, what?" She asked irately, an angry edge to her voice.

"I-I, uh... Need some help. Would you do me a job?" He asked, doing his best to distract her from the fighting and also to get her out for a little while. Maybe walking would ease her temper slightly!

"Sure." She retorted curtly, turning to Casey momentairily. "Don't forget, I'm not done with you." And Chili's eyes widened as he blinked, shocked by her abrasive attitude. Wow, that was one out-spoken girl right there!

Casey said nothing.

"Uh, will you... Take Flygon to the Pokemon Centre for me?" Now he was just making this up, but it was a pretty good excuse now that he thought about it. Hopefully she'd accept the job without any complaints; then he would get a chance to talk to his other brother, Cress. He was sure that he was dying to know about their journey too!

"Whatever." Ruby responded bluntly, taking the poke-ball from Cilan's pale fingertips, pocketing it cooly, giving nothing more than a flippant wave over her shoulder as she stalked off, hands in pockets. "Damn..." She suddenly muttered, then bounded back into the kitchen and stopped at Chili's feet. Then, without another word, she reached over (leaving him to raise an inquisitive eyebrow), fished around in his pocket and pulled out a dollar.

"Thanks." She nodded firmly with a snarky smile, before running off, red hair flipping behind her. All the time, Chili simply blinked, before he turned to the others.

"...Did she really just do that?" He trailed in disbelief and Iris and Cilan shared a sheepish expression between them, before chuckling at Chili's misfortune. "And that was a nice dollar too..." He muttered, leaving Cress to role his eyes at his childish behaviour.

"If I were you," Iris started, catching Cilan's eye and reading instantly that he wouldn't mind Chili being shifted out of the way for a little while too. "I'd go after her." She finished and Chili rose an eyebrow.

"Too late now. She stole my dignity." He huffed, crossing his arms, pouting. "And my money..." He deadpanned, glaring at the kitchen counter for a moment, leaving Casey to laugh at him. Not daring to glare at a client, Chili stayed silent. Then, he perked up:

"Y'know Iris, I think you're one smart girl. I _will _go after her. She doesn't deserve that money, and frankly, neither do I seen as though I borrowed it from Cress, but it was in my pocket, and I liked that dollar." He stated firmly, leaving Cress to gawk. So Chili had his money? Again, he supposed.

"Borrowed? And when were you planning on returning said dollar?" Cress asked snidely, folding his arms behind his back. Chili scoffed, then started towards the door.

"Whatever, I'll be back soon. The Poke-Centre's not far anyways. See ya." He waved, departing from the kitchen and the others called after him, Iris waving even though he couldn't see.

"So," Cress began, walking over to Casey. "We're... Awfully sorry for the awkwardness of this whole thing. Uh, if you just want to go upstairs and put your stuff in a room; guest rooms are to the left." Cress directed with a collected smile, gesturing to the ceiling, pressumabley where the guest rooms were.

"Thanks!" She smiled brightly, picking up her bags of equipment - filled with paint, wallpapers, cameras and other bits and pieces - and leaving the room with a grateful grin. She was definitely well prepared and Iris had to wonder how on earth she carried the whole lot when out and about!

Cilan turned to his brother and hugged him, clearly over-joyed to see his big brother once again. The brother he could share all his problems with. The brother he wasn't afraid to talk to - sometimes, Chili would laugh at him, or not know how to take it seriously - and the brother that he had definitely missed as much as his little one, no doubt. Cress returned his hug, not too proud to do so and Iris smiled at the heartwarming scene. She remember how torn she'd felt when they'd parted, so this was absolutely breath-taking to watch, no joke. She felt happy for them all, but most of all, she felt happy for Cilan. She was actually begining to forget that her terrible past existed, though there was that tiny speck in her mind that wouldn't allow her to forget it, even though she had escaped for quite a while now; no means to say she was safe. It wasn't long, before she'd have to begin hiding again, even if it was in this very house...

Not too very long after, the brothers pulled apart and Cress turned to deliver Iris a polite smile.

"Do you want a room, or, do you want to stay with Cilan?"

"Uh..." She breathed. She actually could use her own space right now, but she didn't want to either seem pushy, or seem like she was leaving Cilan behind. Still, she could really use some time to think, and she'd still spend every single moment with Cilan, that she could get, and so she nodded firmly. Then again, he wouldn't have offered if he thought it to be rude, now that she thought about it more logically!

"Say, if you want your own room for a while Iris, I understand perfectly. Like a flower trying it's best to grow, you've had a long, tiring journey, and I wouldn't be suprised if all you craved was some rest." Cilan smiled down at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and she nodded, suddenly feeling shy.

"Alright then. Cilan, do you want to show her around? Then she can pick a room." Cress informed, folding his arms behind his back, an act that he seemed to do quite alot.

"Of course."

**X x**

"A fork? You bought a fork?" Chili questioned skeptically, having caught up with her. She then sighed, pulled out Flygon's poke-ball and reached to the bottom of her pockets, pulling out a small, yet defined fork. Chili rose an eyebrow.

"Told ya."

"And why, did you buy a fork?" He frowned. "We have plenty of forks in the kitchen."

"They're all useless. I need this for Iris anyways."

"For Iris?"

"Yup. For the handcuffs." When Chili delivered her a stern, yet curious look, she rolled her eyes and fiddled with it. "Trust me. My mom was a cop. I _know _how to get outta handcuffs, as long as I'm not the one in them. Then again, as long as I have both hands restricted and not just one..."

"Wait, wait wait! Hold on just a second! You're telling me you've been in handcuffs before?" Chili cried, before getting a hand shoved over his mouth.

"Shut it Doofus." She hissed. "Look, the point is, yes, ok? I've messed around with my moms and found myself in a bit of a pinch. No biggie. That, and once or twice, the city where I come from, they didn't really find it safe to be skateboarding. Apparently, they didn't appreciate my perserverence, as I did it anyway." She shrugged, clearly not phased. Chili couldn't help but smile in amusement. "And seen as though I'm gonna be living with you, your brothers and Iris, I hope you enjoy it."

"Skateboarding? It's alright actually. But... We didn't say you could-"

"You never learn do you? Meh, all guys are the same. Look, the deal is, I don't _wait _for people to tell me what I can and can't do. I do what I want and _then _find out what I can and can't do. Got it?" She asked him, sharpish and he nodded quickly. "Ok thanks. Bye." She smiled, hugging him quickly and then left, leaving Chili to stand there stupidly, arms still stretched out in front of him. He just hoped his brother was having more luck with Iris...

**X x**

Iris sighed outwardly; she was glad having her own space for a while.

_"Iris, you've been ignoring me." _The voice whispered.

"I know. I've been making sure of it." She commented snidely, folding her arms behind her head and laying back on the bed, her head hitting the pillow. Who or what was this mysterious force, and what was it doing in her ear? She was sure she'd heard the voice before. From her childhood somewhere, on one of the extremely rare occasions that they had been somewhere as a family, probably to avoid suspicion from anybody who was to question why the couple were seen out all the time without their four year old child. She knew she had been four, that was the weird thing; she just couldn't quite place the memory, except for this distant voice. And she couldn't place that either, so it was a bust anyway!

"Who ar-"

But a knock on the door interrupted her and she huffed, then got up and opened the door.

"Would've come sooner if Doofus hadn't been on my tail, trying to convince me to bunk with him, just so he could irritate me." Was the greeting she got.

"Hey Ruby. What brings you here?" Iris questioned, feeling tired and groggy. Now wasn't the time that she really wanted to be talking, especially now with a headache and her mind reeling; she couldn't think straight.

"Oh uh... I'm just here to get those things off." She replied, pointing to the heavy handcuffs that Iris loathed with a burning passion. She then noticed the fork in her fingers.

"With a fork?"

"Don't judge me." Ruby snapped and Iris immediately fell protective,r aising her chained hands in front of her face and smiling bashfully. Ruby softened silently. "It's just a trick my I learnt from my mom."

"Alright. So... Your mom actually taught you things?" Iris marvelled. She'd only dremt of the day when her mother would start noticing her childs obvious talent for climbing and foraging, only for her to be mad that it was too much of a childish habit that needed to be beaten out of her. Still, Iris stood there, wonderstruck, fingers flexing in wonder.

"Survival... Sure." Ruby responded, getting on one knee and carefully, precisely, inserting the fork into the lock, messing around with it for a little while.

"Anything else?" She asked, fiddling with a strand of purple, until Ruby tugged on her hand and silently told her to stay still. She fell quiet once more, making sure to keep her arms tense.

"Well, uh, She taught me how to tie my shoes, and she got me my first guitar, and when she wasn't sulking, she went to the park with me sometimes." The red-headed female replied hesitantly, and Iris could tell she was hiding something.

"Sulking?"

"..." Was all Ruby could manage as she made a final twist, and the locks came free, the handcuffs dropping to the floor with an obnoxious _clang_! Ruby shifted awkwardly, getting to her feet. "She was... Depressed. Majorly depressed. She hardly ever did anything but moan and whine. But, she was a police officer so... It wasn't all bad for her I guess." She shrugged, her red hair shifting slightly and Axew popped out; Ruby casually petted him.

"What happened after she when she wasn't a police officer?"

"Geez, you want my whole fricking life story?" She snarled, turning away from Iris and began to walk away. Iris felt hurt; she definitely hadn't shown that side to her when they were talking and laughing with each other in the forest, whilst trying to find Axew.

"I just thought..." She muttered, looking down at the floor with a pained expression. Suddenly, Ruby stopped walking:

"Look, I'm sorry ok? I just get... Touchy about the whole thing. It's just me being a little kid. Ignore it." Before she stalked off, head hung low, shoulders slumped and feet dragging behind her. Iris pondered for a moment; was Ruby's childhood rough too? Perhaps. Maybe. But it couldn't be anywhere enar as bad as hers. For definite. Even without hearing her story, Iris could tell that much. Ruby seemed despondent and hesitant, though she was one tough girl and Iris - and everyone else for that matter - knew not to mess with her! Still, Iris couldn't help but be curious, but curiosity could wait for now. Because right now:

The pillow was calling her...

**X x**

**Done! It's more of a filler chappie this, but it plays a significant role in the story! Casey is also VITAL to the plot too, so they'll be a couple of chappies that are a little like this one, and then the real action begins. Hope it wasn't too painful to read, and please, leave your reviews! Help me reach the seventy way mark! :D Thanks you all! ;)**

**Just to let you know, the Chili and Ruby scenes play an important part in the story development too so... Yeah, please don't mistake me for littering a Wishfulshipping fic with pointless scenes. They have a purpose, and no matter what, the main focus will be Wishfulshipping! ^-^**

**Thanks for any reviews! Please, gimme them! I'm hungry! :3**

**Thanks for all of your supprot and I hope you appreciate the quick update! ;)**

**~Jess~**


	18. Casey's Identity and Ruby's Music

**Hi guys. It's me, Jesspikapal, but you probably already knew that... ;)**

**So anyways, here's chappie eighteen of "The Locket". Yeah, I'm sorry for not updating in so long, but this is a very complicated story and I had to think hard about the lockets real value and what connection that had to do with the Dragon Master and Vienna too. But now, I have it figured out. Depending on how much attention you pay to the chapter, this is a major chapter. If you look at it for hints, meh, it's a small chapter... ;D**

**Enjoy! Please review! I thrive off of your opinions, no matter what they are. And also, Casey's value will be explained here too, so don't be thinking she's a stray character either. She's actually rather important, once you know what she's up to... ;)**

**Anyways, thanks for all the support! Let's try and get me 100 reviews when this story's finished! Joking... Then it's on with the sequel!... xD**

**~Jess~**

**X x**

**Casey's Identity - "We may have gotton off on the wrong foot, but I'm more than determined to make it up to you. Will you take my hand in the course of friendship? What's that, you don't trust me? ... Smart girl..."**

**X x**

It was a fitful sleep that Iris had had the priviledge to have, yet she still felt slightly woozy with drowsiness. It would just be the sheer comfort of the proper bed and the proper elevation of her head as it rested soundly on the pillow, seen as though she was so used to sleeping on the floor, or even worse, her fathers ugly bed. But no more. She was here now, and that's all that mattered.

"What a morning..." Iris commented as she peered outside and saw the world drizzling sadly with rain. She'd seen so much saddness in the past few days it was unreal, but she had also seen something new. Something beautiful. Something _lovely_. And she wouldn't trade it for the world.

"Axew." The little dragon pokemon yawned half heartedly in agreement. Iris could hear nothing except her own mind buzzing: who had she been speaking to last night? And whoever it was, why did they - or it - feel the need to keep talking to her? Were they linked to her? Or maybe to the Dragon Master; speaking of which, she had no idea of who he was. Merely his appearence as she had seen him in that strange little vision of hers. Also, speaking of which once more, how had that happened in the first place? Gah, so many questions and not enough answers!

"Well... I suppose-" But she was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Huh? Come in?" She voiced sheepishly. While it was adorable that they were so polite, it was their house; why would they feel the need to knock at their own door? Before she could contemplate it any further, in wandered Cress, a soft smile on his face.

"Good morning." He stated, wandering over to the curtains and adjusting them whilst Iris looked sheepishly at the carpet. She hadn't had much experience with housing afterall! "Cilan was wondeirng if you were going to join us for breakfast?"

"Wow, he's up already?" Iris questioned innocently. "Oh, uh, morning..." She added bashfully, covering her mouth shyly with a single hand as she giggled sheepishly. Cress chuckled and wandered back over to the door, taking the handle in between his fingers.

"If you're ready to eat, come downstairs and join us. Cilan's saved a seat for you. Just watch the "kids". They're at it. _Again_..." The blue haired trainer sighed, raising his eyebrows as he smiled coyly, before he departed swiftly from the room. By that simple warning form Cress, she knew the two red-heads were arguing once more; why couldn't they simply get along? Then, it'd be easier, or so Iris told herself. And Cilan was still the same sweet gentleman, saving her a seat and such; there was no denying her adoration for him.

Quickly getting changed from her short shorts and her tank top into her usual attire, feeling her legs get warmer immediately from the new founded material covering them lovingly. Shuffling down the stairs, marvelling at how soft the carpet felt under her bare feet, she then arrived in the kitchen upon opening the door.

"Morning Iris." Cilan smiled brightly, his thin eyebrows raised in a friendly fashion as he peered at her.

_"Iris... I need to talk to you...Please... Listen to me..."_ A withering voice whispered in the bright light of the ktichen and Iris' senses became flooded, her eyes begining to burn from the intense brightness of the built in kitchen lights. Who was this?

"Morning." She choked out, forcing herself to smile. She only wished that she could tell Cilan, but before she had slept that following night, the voice had been well at work, whispering warnings in her ear about not telling anyone that it existed; she couldn't even differentiate what gender the mysterious being was? Who was she to expect?

But her dream was short, yet it sent an unpleasant tingle down her spine, even through the rough recess' of sleep...

**X x**

_"Iris, dear shadow, you must run! You must save yourself! Please listen!"_

_"But I don't want to leave. I'm happy here!" Iris grinned widely, jumping from a random arrangement of rocks that crossed a supposed river, though she couldn;t be too sure in the dullness of her informitive dream._

_"You don't understand! People are coming..." Cilan replied, hanging his head low in shame of notbeing able to tell her. He knew why: He wasn't allowed to lead her in life, merely warn her about the things he could see before her. __They__ were part of it._

_"What people?" Iris paused from her leaping and turned her head towards the bright light that radiated callously from her best friends body._

_"...I can't tell you." He admitted truthfully, hanging his head further towards the floor so that he couldn;t see the disappointment flicker across Iris' beautiful face._

_"Then what am I supposed to watch out for?" She argued meekly._

_"Just... Be ready..."_

**X x**

"Iris? Are you alright?" asked a foreign voice. Ruby? No, the voice was much too soft. Cilan? No, she'd know him right away.

"Mhmm..." She mumbled absentmindedly, still not completely with herself as she swayed on her feet ambiguously. Her vision settled and she saw Casey swim into view with her blonde hair and her pampered face, not to mention her short skirt and her loose shirt. Ah, the girl from yesterday; her and Ruby were fighting and Cress was worried about her touchy tendancies. Yes, she remembered now.

"C'mon. Come sit down." She ushered kindly.

"Thanks." Iris commented blindly, picking up a fork upon instinct and staring at the far wall as she fiddled absentmindedly with her free fingers. Axew, concerned for his trainer, nuzzled her neck lovingly and she petted him slowly.

"What's bugging you?" Casey continued to probe, a sweet smile coating her face. Ruby growled and left the table, taking her plate full of food with her as she huffed under her breath. Chili raised a brow, stood up and watched her leave, before he followed slowly; he didn't want her snooping around again that much was for sure. Last time she'd been left alone, she'd gone through Cress' books, upturned Cilan's bed sheets in search of a single thing out of place and then proceeded to turn _his _room upside down so that she could nonchalently sit in his doorway and laugh at him trying his best to tidy everything up all over again.

"Nothing!" Iris assured a little too quickly, leaving Casey to giggle slightly.

"Alright! I only asked." The blonde shrugged. "Say, do you want to take a walk later? We can... get a chance to know each other seen as though we'll be under the same roof for a while."

Iris hesitated, not because she didn't like the look of her (she looked friendly by any means, as well as sincere and genuine) but because the locket she was wearing loyally around her neck - she refused to take said item off as it was the only thing from her grandmother - shook with an energy so fierce it made her heart beat inexplicababley fast.

"Uh, sure..." She gasped out through the pain. Never had she ever experienced such hurt inside of her and it was honestly begining to make her feel weak, the stench of the delicious breakfast starting to make her feel sick as her vision swam violently away from Casey and to Cila instead. Then, as if nothing happened, the hurt vanished. So she was safe in the eyes of Cilan? Was this a joke? Then again, nothing happened around Cress earlier, or Ruby and Chili yesterday. Why her?

"Great!" She cried in a happy voice, a large grin settling. "But first, I'll have to call the decorating team to make sure they're still coming. And start the work. But once I've made a sturdy start on the wallpaper, I'll find you and we can go to Striaton Park or something."

"Sounds great!" She then turned to Cilan, her stomach still quivering slightly as the pain sub-sided once more. "Do you mind, Cilan?"

"Of course not. Go and enjoy yourself with Casey. And uh," He suddenly ushered her closer and she complied, smelling his inviting scent as she did so. The familiarity eased her away from the pain and she leaned in further, feeling safe and secure. "Try and crack through Ruby a little, eh? No telling what trouble she's going to get into if someone doesn't try and tame her." He chuckled and Iris nodded.

"I'll try my best." She assured meekly, nodding slowly as she spared a glance at Casey.

_"Iris! Look out!"_

"I-I... Think I'll skip breakfast..." Iris mumbled, tugging on her pigtail, one hand to her stomach as it grumbled like an angry avalanche.

"Are you sure?" Cress asked, raising a brow. "You sound hungry to me."

"No really. I just wanna... Lay down. Please." Iris replied, already getting up fromt he table and not intending to let anyone stop her. Heavily, she trailed up the stairs with an empty stomach and a racing heartbeat, wandering into her room. The pain, beating on the inside of her stomach roughly, made her gag as she collapsed onto her bed and curled into a small ball, trying to conserve good feeling.

_"Iris, I'm sorry I had to take those measures. You weren't listening to me."_

"You caused that?" She snapped, feeling dumb when her voice rang through her room. Who is this?" She growled irrately.

_"Yes. I did cause it and I'm sorry. As for who I am... I cannot say. Not yet. Please understand..."_

Oh great. More mysteries.

"Why not? Why are there so many sercrets?" Iris muttered into her pillow, holding her locket close and already feeling closer to saftey, though she had no idea why. This was her grandmothers locket and although her grandmother was the safest person within her family, she had been dead for several years now. Was she mentally going crazy? She'd heard that people who suffered major trauma often suffered paranoia or a few schizophrenic tendancies. Was she going about these symptoms? And did her abuse count as a trauma? To her, obviously, but would other people consider it something massive? She couldn't tell; it's why she hadn't told anyone before Cilan.

_"Actually,"_ the voice smiled - she could hear it in it's tone - and then paused for breath. _"You do know me Iris. You don't know you do... But you do. Time will tell. Watch yourself. Especially around new company. Promise me Iris. Though you don't know me, it's my job to protect you. I'll explain more when I can. I swear and we will see each other very soon. Never part with this locket, under any circumstances." _The voice, she could hear, was yet another males. Hadn't they caused enough trouble for her? Even so, she found herself nodding obediently, clutching the locket tightly as he chuckled substantially.

_"Very well. Goodbye Iris. For now..."_

"Goodbye..." Iris found herself mumuring as she felt tears prick her eyes. She longed for her grandmother. She longed for a normal childhood. She longed for Cilan and she longed for some answers. Clarity, though a long ways off, was something she would beg for every night like a wistful child on Christmas Eve if she had any hope of ever receiving it. Before she met Cilan, she spent her nights speaking to spirits that no one else could ever see; yes, it sounded crazy, but they were there. Iris knew that. The elder of the village, who had also not suspected anything of the solitary persona of the dark skinned child, had told her so and she was not one to disbelieve if she was told something by her elder. The elder was always right, even in her amazing ability to ready someone for the future.

Suddenly, a knock on her door sounded.

"Yeah?" She asked and in stalked Ruby, a frown on her face. She was carrying what looked like a guitar in a case, the seemingly heavy object slung over her shoulder as she stepped into the room and then closed the door non too gently.

"So you're going out with Casey?" Ruby asked as she sat a ways off from Iris at the bottom of her neat bed. Gingerly, she took the instrument from her back and set it on her knee, drumming her fingers restlessly on the casing. Iris carefull reached out a curious hand and patted it - Ruby raised a brow but said nothing - and the case emmited a sound. A metalic sound that made Iris grimace.

"It doesn't sound like that if you play it right." Ruby informed the dark skinned wild child. Iris nodded her head slowly.

"Later." She answered Ruby's previous question. "I'm going out with her later."

"Ah..." Was all she received in response. "Where are you going?"

"Park. I think. Can you play?" Iris steered the conversation away from her. If she was going to get Ruby to even so much as look at her, she'd have to make her feel involved. If she wanted friendship with Iris (no matter how proud she was) then she would get it. Ruby was a strange case, Iris realised as she pondered silently. She was probably one of the only girls she felt truly comfortable with and she didn't know why as Ruby had a reputation for trouble. Though maybe some of it was a drag, it was still rather menacing from a simple over-lookers point of view. Iris was the said over-looker.

"Of course." Ruby replied arrogantly, closing her eyes proudly. She then fell slightly bashful. "Wanna hear? Or are you not bothered either?" She suddenly scowled. Iris raised a thin purple brow and smiled slightly. She may have found an opening here.

"Who said they weren't bothered?"

"Idiot..." The red head mumbled dejectedly, staring at the floor. Then she perked up again. "So I may have snuck into his room and toyed with his piano a little. I was making music for God's sake!" She protested, taking the case off of the guitar slowly. By "Idiot" Iris guessed she meant "Cress". Afterall, he was the only brother with a piano. In his room no less!

"Maybe he was just mad 'cause you snuck into his room?" Iris suggested, shrugging. "Anyways, play a tune for me? I like music!" She clapped her hands and then rested her hands in her lap, waiting for Ruby to reply, no matter what her answer was.

"I suppose. What song?"

"Suprise me!" Iris retorted, nudging her slightly. Ruby, encouraged by Iris' enthusiasm suddenly grinned and began to strum slowly as she pondered on what song to play for the ever-patient female sitting opposite her. Iris was also ever-interested. She'd never heard a guitar in play before but even from the gentle strums that the guitar was making now, she could tell her first impression of a guitars sound was wrong and that Ruby was, in actuality, rather good, if not exceptional. Would Ruby consider teaching her? Perhaps not, though maybe when they were a little closer, it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Go ahead." Ruby suddenly voiced, making Iris jump from her thoughts abruptively.

"Huh?"

"Strum it. I know you want to." She grinned in response which made Iris smile slightly. She carefully dragged her fingers down the instrument, the musical appliance making a soft, melodious sound that filled the bedroom soundly. Ruby smiled but then shook her head.

"You're too gentle. Imagine you're scratching a puppy behind the ears, just the way he likes it. Or better still, imagine you're stroking Cilan's hair." The smaller female teased, which made Iris' face fuel bright red. She strummed again, slightly rougher, the sound that followed afterwards stronger and more musical. Ruby nodded, scoffing as she grabbed Iris' wrist and made her fingers firmly slip over the strings. Iris giggled conciously.

And so the afternoon passed rather quickly with music, teachings, notes and laughter. Iris and Ruby's laughter...

**X x**

"Iris? Are you in there? Are you ready to go?" Casey asked from behind her door, her knuckles rapping on the wood. An energy buzzed in her chest but she swatted her locket and it stopped.

_"Behave..." _Iris hissed, pointing a warning finger at her locket and it seemed to droop with a disappeared effort. "Yeah! I'm coming now!" She shouted to Casey who made a sound of happiness.

"I'll be just out here when you- Oh there you are. Let's go!"

"Yes. Let's."

With that, Casey, being hyper-active, grabbed Iris' lower arm and began to drag her down the stairs. What Iris marvelled at - If that was the correct word to use - was the elctric shock that fizzled painfully through her arm, before it disappeared once more and her scenary changed to an outside setting.

Off they went...

**X x**

"What's up with you?"

"Leave me alone Doofy. Can't you see I'm trying to mope. Let me." She snapped, leaning on the outside of her guitar as she looked up at Chili through half lidded eyes.

"Ok...?" He asked, before sitting down beside her. "Why're you moping? Hmm?" He asked, nudging her. She punched him in response, leaving him biting his lip in order to keep from complaining. He raised his brows instead and laughed weakly, leaving her to raise a brow in return and smile slightly.

"I just hate being wrong, that's all." She shrugged.

"Pride thing?" He smirked.

"Call it whatever." She snapped, turning her head away and leaning it on the side of her beloved instrument. She then frowned and turned back to him. "Just... Iris isn't quite as bad as I thought she'd be. I mean, sure, I met her before I even came here but... I expected living with her to be much worse." explained Ruby as she peered at him intently.

"Remember that you're not living here 'cause we forced you to." He teased, before he deadpanned. "More like you forced _us_..."

"'Cause that's how I work." She grinned, nudging him more gently and he smirked. "But one person I'm sure I _haven't _mis-judged, is Casey..."

"How so? She seems... Nice." Chili offered, having to force the word out of his mouth.

"You seem to think so too." She mocked, before falling serious. "No she just seems... _Too _nice. I mean, isn't she here for some business stunt or something?" Ruby questioned, pulling a disinterested face as she did so, drumming her fingers restlessly on Chili's shoe. He said nothing.

"Ruby, it's called being civil. She's under _our _roof. And I'm sure she knows that too, so there's no wonder. She's a really nice girl, I'm sure. Sure, her skirt's too short and her shirt is too tight, but..." By some empowering force, he took both of her hands gently. "You learn to make exceptions for the idiots." He winked, before he stood up and began to leave. Ruby smirked and turned her head.

"So... More exceptions and you'll be happy then eh, Doofus?" She called after him. He casually stopped walking, sighed a heavy breath out, rolled his eyes and the turned back to Ruby, a sure smirk across his face.

"...Sure..."

**X x**

"So you've been planning this decorating scheme with the brothers for a couple of months? Why'd it take so long for it to sorted out?" Iris quizzed innocently, curiosity shimmering in her gentle brown eyes.

"Well, with their hard work and their jobs, it was difficult to find a suitable time to come in and do it for them. As you probably know, they work too hard to do it on their own." Casey explained brightly, her smile contagious as Iris began to grin a childlike grin in correspondence.

"Oh yeah. I know. Cilan was always telling me about his service every night. He seemed to miss it."

"Oh yeah. If you don't mind me asking," Iris held her breath, waiting for her to continue. "I saw you on the news. Something about you running away and Cilan accompanying you. How did you two meet?" She enquired.

"Well... After a mix-up in his restauraunt. I remember not being able to afford something and he'd recommended something and after not being able to get it, he'd got it for me. I kinda..." She searched for the correct words to say to a bubbly teenage girl. "...Freaked out." She finished, giggling conciously.

"Oh. Sounds rough. Still, it's a wonder you were alright by the end of it. Just one question, because only you know what went on, of course."

"Sure, ask me anything!" Irisreplied gently.

"Well... Did you attack the officer? I mean, there were reports on the news of it, but it said the information wasn't definite yet."

Iris hesitated briefly.

"Yeah... I guess. As far as police go. But I was just defending myself! It was him who dragged me. He even handcuffed me!" She protestes, wincing when some passing people looked at her and raised eyebrows. She shrivelled in her seat on the park bench and stared down at the floor, willing the judgemental eyes away.

"Alright! Alright! Say, you and Cilan are pretty close. Are you two, like, together?" the blonde asked, twirling a strand of blonde around her pale finger, as a sly expression formed on her face. Her lips were quirked into a small smile as she peered at Iris through half-lidded eyes, obvious interest striking her face.

Were they? She couldn't be sure. There were too many guys who were dangerous. But Cilan had always been there for her, right? Yes, maybe she should be literal, to say that they _were _together, in the sense that he had always been there for her. That could work...

"Yes. We are." She answered slowly, nodding her head as she blushed slightly. Relationships were always a careful ground for her, seen as though that's what her mother and father, John and Carrie, had become. Just by being together. And Iris couldn't help but think that it was her fault sometimes; if she hadn't of been born, then her parents would have remained normal. Too many atime was she told that too.

"Cool. I'm quite partial to the blue one myself." Casey winked, grinning a mischievious grin.

"Cress? He's nice enough. He's very sweet!" Iris smiled, begining to feel slightly normal. "And Chili's cute. In a childish way I mean!" Iris assured her as Casey giggled.

"Yeah, if I can't have Cress then I'll happily take Chili. But Ruby would probably have a problem with that..." She suddenly scowled, leaving Iris to get worried. She didn't want to bad-mouth Ruby, no matter how abrasive she was, but she didn't want to upset Casey either. Maybe she wouldn't have to say anything. Maybe she wouldn't be forced to make that choice...

_"Iris, tell me I'm right!" Carrie screeched, yanking her towards her. Iris cowered as her father glowered at her._

_"Iris, you know I'm right! Don't lie to me!" John screamed in rage, raising his hand to her and Iris flinched, then looked up at her mother and watched as she glared at her menacingly. The young four year old backed away form the pair of them, shrinking towards the wall as they both began to advance towards her. The curses, once so loud were now drowned out as Iris could only watch hopelessly._

_Maybe someone would hear her cry this time..._

And she still feared having to choose. She knew now that if they found her and caught her, she would die. Either from one of their hands (most likely she knew) or from being locked in her room; her window was faulty and never opened afterall. She was a strong girl, but she wasn't strong enough to withstand that pain. Again.

"I think Ruby's just protective of her territory." Iris mumbled.

"No kidding! She almost killed me last night!" Casey complained.

"Don't take it personally. Just watch you don't upset her. She doesn't do well when people go against her. From what I've gathered anyway." Iris retorted, smiling in a friendly fashion.

"Hmph." the blonde huffed. "But that's not why I wanted to talk to you anyways. I've learnt alot about you Iris." She smiled, holding her hand. Iris, enstranged by the gentle contact from anyone other than Cilan, shuffled uncomfortably.

"I'm glad you feel that way." She choked out as her locket pulsed with an angry energy, bouncing from the perch just above her chest, the heat radiating across her skin rudely.

"We should probably get back. Thanks for coming with me." Casey smiled.

"No problem. Let's go home..."

**X x**

"Yes. The blood on my shoe is hers, meaning Houndoom can track her. Just one whiff of the stuff and he'll be able to find her, wherever she is." Bill boasted proudly, hands on wide hips.

"That's great! We just want our daughter to come home..." Carrie trailed as she curled into her husbands chest and grinned. When she got her hands on the little brat, there'd be trouble. Not seeing her expression, Bill simply raised his eyebrows in a sad phase, an upset frown on his face. These parents were really grieving...

"Trust me. She'll come home. We'll find her." The police man smirked. It was John's turn to smirk to himself.

"...That's perfect..."

**X x**

**Done! I hope you enjoyed it and don't worry, Casey's half explained here. Byt the othe rhalf, it'll be crystal clear, I promise! :D So, there was some major hints in this chappie if you read carefully and there was some pointless yet necessary (yes, at the same time!) character development, no matter how big or small. But I swear, Casey's purpose will be explained in the next chappie, which then be followed by the final chapters! :D**

**Please review! :3**

**~Jess~**


	19. Childish Pranks and Timely Evidence

**Hey guys, it's me, Jesspikapal, but you probably already knew that! ;)**

**So anyways, here I am with chappie nineteen to "The Locket" and let me just say I was going to update MUCH sooner, but I've moved house AGAIN (no kidding!) and the internet wasn't on till mid February. If it makes you feel any better, I was gonna post a note on here saying so, but, because my internet was supposed to go off on Saturday but went off early on Wednesday, I couldn't tell you my reasons. I'm so sorry for any upset and I'm sorry you had to wait so long! See, all my stories have been through the same thing; I'm working on them day and night whilst I have no internet so that they'll be ready for when I do! :D**

**Please review! I'd love to hear from you all again! On my way to 100 reviews! :)**

**~Jess~**

**X x**

**Found You - "When you're found by someone who cares, but still feel lost, you know there's a problem..."**

**X x**

Arriving at a large sign post marked "Striaton City", the police man grinned and ushered the grieving parents towards him.

"Houndoom's found 'er. She's definitely here, that much I'm sure of. You'll be reunited with your daughter soon." Bill informed, turning towards them, Houndoom appreciating the attention as it's owner patted his head, congratulating it for it's hard, valiant work. He shrugged itno the touch, trying to appear as if it had done nothing and it didn't really take that much effort, though the large dog could feel it's stomach rumble with urgency and his tongue feel the need to brush the cool surface of water.

"That's brilliant!" John exclaimed, appearing happy and joyful as he clutched his wife close. Said woman snuggled closer to her husband and then caught his eye, reading him clearly.

"We think... It'd be good to call for back-up. I mean, look at what happened last time. She got away..." Carrie explained lightly, trying not to come across as rude; not because she felt anything like gratitude towards the police man for helping them retrieve their daughter, but moreso to get what she wanted. Afterall, with John, she'd learnt that if you sweet and gentle (even if it was an act) you'd tend to get more from them. Then you could be on your way once more, though if it was one positive aspect of Carrie, it was that she was truly in love with her husband, despite how many times she'd tried to walk away from him and treat him the same in accordance to her wisdom.

Bill chuckled apprehensively. "That was an accident, ma'am..." he trailed meekly, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. Houndoom seemed to inhale sharply as he scratched behind his ear tentitively.

"Well, what my wife is trying to say is that we would like to avoid any more _accidents_." the husband followed through with a stern stare, though his face remained fairly friendly. He knew that evils would get him nowhere.

"Of course. I'll call her right away."

"...Her...?" both of the parents uttered, suprised. Why would the officer have a _female _for back-up? They hated to be sterotypical, but wasn't it the men that got the job done? Or perhaps this female was so out of everyone's league that she was saved for only emergencies?

"Oh yes. Li'l blondie will be useful right about now. You sit back and relax. With her on the case, you'll be fine, and your daughter will be back in the blink of an eye. We've almost found her anyway. This special agent will just help to move her towards us and block off all her escape routes. Trust me, you're in good hands with her..."

**X x**

"Cilan! It's so good!" Iris exclaimed as she licked the ice cream thoroughly, finishing it quickly and earning a chuckle from Cilan. He turned his head to face her - it had been a while since he and Iris had shared time together - and smiled good naturedly, leading her through the town by her hand. He would be one to admit that he still felt the sparks when he touched her; they never died down, even though he was used to them now.

"I thought you'd like it. You seemed to be of that flavour. Up for something daring yet rewarding?" Cilan replied, leading her through the park. It seemed so much more brilliant with Cilan than it had wiht Casey; the entire world seemed brighter and filled to the brim with possibilities. She only wished that there was some beautiful music to go along with the amazing atmoshpere. Even the other people were friendly, and Iris was begining to understand how to truly belong within society. It was a warm, welcoming feeling to feel like she really belonged somewhere and she welcomed the feeling gladly, happy to be away from the pain. It was heavenly!

"I love it. Thanks so much for taking me out!" she replied, taking his arm in a chivalry fashion.

"It was my pleasure." Cilan reassured her, allowing her to kiss him on the cheek, though he couldn't quite stop the sheepish blush from raising to his pale cheeks. The green haired Connoisseur smiled warmly at her and then noticed something in his girlfriends eyes. Something was troubling her, despite her being so happy. Being sensitive to things such as saddness or deep thought, Cilan decided to promt her, but not directly ask her what was wrong; he knew that was a little pushy, even if it was out of concern and Iris _did not _like to be pushed.

Meanwhile, Iris was deep in thought as she clung to Cilan's warm arm. She'd never tell him herself, but it made her feel safer, more normal. More secure and more wanted. Her mind flitted through unspoken queries and even spoken queries. She still wasn't familiar with the voice coming from her locket, though they had assured her so strongly that she knew them. She could only hope so, so that she could laugh about her stupidity when she'd said she hadn't known them. Then it would make so much more sense!

_"I can't tell you..."_

_"Then what am I suposed to watch out for?"_

_"Just... Be ready..."_

Be ready for what exactly? Though she knew life was never easy, she wouldn't have minded a little guidance. Iris felt she'd already been through enough and shouldn't have to suffer through more lies. Or truths that she couldn't have. And what was more was that she hadn't told Cilan - her dear boyfriend - about her most recent ones. And she hadn't thoroughly explained the whole shadow and light thing either. To her own _boyfriend._ She'd began to use the term now, happy that she could be part of the majority for once in her life, despite how messed up her life had been.

Should she tell him? Well why _shouldn't _she tell him? Iris steeled her courage and then tapped him on the shoulder, waiting patiently till he turned around to face her.

"Cilan, I have to tell you something..." the purple haired teen uttered in a small, timid voice, afraid he would be angry at her for not telling him in so long. It's not like her peculiar dreams were a brand new occurence afterall.

Cilan nodded, listening carefully. "Tell me anything."

"Well... I think... I'm gonna get found. By the police. Or my parents. Soon..." she couldn't find a substantial way to describe it, only by adding dramatic little fragments when she felt appropriate. Cilan seemed shocked at this news, before he let out a small chuckle and allowed a smile to slip onto his face. Did he find her _silly_...?

"Don't be so worried. You're fine here. Me, Chili, Cress and Ruby are here to protect you. And Casey seemed to like you, didn't she? She was awfully nice to you yesterday." he continued, trying to reason with Iris' seemingly bizarre concern.

"I have dreams." Iris replied robotically, staring hard at the path as Cilan turned to her, suprise etched into his face. He seemed not to register this new piece of information as he shook his head in minor confusion.

"Care to explain to me?" he questioned, pocketing his hands cooly, though inside, his mind was spinning. He knew asomewhat about her case but... Didn't everyone have dreams? Surely the dreams were something to do with her tortured mind and what she was going through inwardly, despite the abuse being over. It was the things that she'd never said to anyone that she dremt about, or so it seemed as far as Cilan's logical mind could comprehend.

"Well...," she began slowly, deciding to piece together what she was going to say. "I've been having them for a while. Before I knew it was _you _in my dreams," she paused as she watched his face for understanding. He merely seemed blank, though he seemed alert and ready to listen. "It was just a shadow - which is me - and a big bright light, which is you. You'd tell me things. But I've told you about that before... Haven't I?" she asked, recollecting her memories for a brief moment. She could distinctly remember mentioning it, though she couldn't remember if she had explained it well enough. However, Cilan simply nodded.

"Yes, you've told me before. I'd explain things to you, though I'm not allowed to be direct with you. Like a late night lantern, I can guide you, but I can't show you home. I understand that. What a curious flavour." he pondered for a moment.

"But notice that everything that I _have _told you about has come true. Back when we were climbing the mountain, I knew I was going to fall-" at this, Cilan looked inquisitive.

"You never mentioned it," he breathed meekly.

"If I had, would you've let me go? That was the only way to get to Striaton quickly." Iris retorted, equally aware as he was. She was not about to be taken for a fool just because Cilan was skeptical about her dreams and their purpose. Then again, maybe he wasn't questioning them themselves, but moreso their value. Afterall, she supposed it was a hard thing to harbour: The knowledge of knowing that, whatever your girlfriend dreamed about was going to come true, must have come as a a rather startling shock to him!

Cilan seemed to think before he caved weakly. "No. I wouldn't have let you go."

"Because you care?" she just _had _to check. It felt amazing to have such nice things said about her, and she didn't know what she'd do if his kind voice was to just disappear and the compliments were never to be uttered ever again. She just couldn't handle it, and so she checked regularly, to make sure he was still there, his kind a caring voice and all.

"Because I care." Cilan assured, smiling meaningfully whilst taking a hand out of his pocket and taking her dark one in his own pale one, their complextions mingling frightfully naturally. It still amazed him at how normal it looked and he was happy to live in somewhere like Striaton City: Somewhere that didn't look down on inter-racial relationships. He was ever so grateful for that.

Iris grinned and hugged him close, begining to feel more brave. She didn't care if the whole street was watching! She would hold him as close to her as she wanted whenever she wanted, because he was _hers_. And only hers. No compromises.

"We should probably head back, shouldn't we?" Iris quizzed, somewhat sorrowfully, though her feet were getting slightly tired from walking around the vast amount of streets and shops.

"Yes, but you may have to go on your own. I have to do something here first. Is that ok?" the Connoisseur asked, a worried expression settling onto his face. He wasn't fond of the thought of leaving her to roam the streets, though it wasn't as if it was dark out and the weird people were roaming around. It was more the thought of Iris being right that was playing in the back of his mind; what if she really _was _being located by the police, faster than he (and she) thought they would. It was frightening.

"What have you got to do?" she asked curiously, twirling a strand of purple around her fingers as she silently hoped he didn't mind being questioned.

"It's... Secret." Cilan replied, grinning from ear to ear, his pale face glowing with positive vibes. Iris meerly smiled, thinking of how endearing he looked when he was trying to suprise someone. She hoped it was her, though she wouldn't bet her money on it. That would be rude and obnoxious.

"Alright, I wanted to see how much progress Casey's made with the decorating anyways." she smirked, walking towards him and kissing him gently, getting used to showing affection. Slightly suprised, it took a moment for him to respond, but he eventually found rhythm and kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist softly, slowly; he was still alarmingly careful with her after learning about everything that had happened to her. She pulled away, seeming reluctant, and ignored the envious glares that she was receiving from numerous girls walking down the street. Then, she turned and strode away, back towards the Gym.

**X x**

"When can you meet me? What time can you manage?" Bill asked into his walkie talkie. The receiver smirked a confident smirk and pressed the button, issuing for her voice to be heard.

"I'm ready whenever you are. As for the girl, she's stable. Though she has some bizarre ideas. She says she attacked you for self defence!" the agent replied, laughing slightly. She was only there for when he needed her the most but for now, it was the right time to get her involved. Ironic really when the person she was aiming to get was _living _with her...

"Excellent. Y'know, you've never let me down." the officer continued, apparently smitten as his voice grew softer.

"Don't try anything on me. I have my own set of cuffs." the blonde replied jokingly, even going so far as to point a warning finger, though she knew that Bill couldn't see her. "Say hi to Houndoom for me. As for Iris, just gimme a little bit of time and she'll be back with her family. Say, speaking of Iris, don't you think she has reasons for running away? Don't you think it would be wise to investigate those too? See if she has any motives?"

"I interrogated her parents about it. They said she was a perfectly happy teen, if not slightly selfish at times."

"Ah," she paused, raising a brow. "Still, people say alot of things. For what it's worth, you should definitely consider checking them out a little more. Keep a close eye on them. Are you listening to me Bill?"

"Yeah. I'll do that. You just keep _yourself _out of trouble little missy." Chief warned mockingly.

"No promises." she seemed to fumble with the walkie talkie for a brief moment. "Listen, I gotta go. Little Miss Attitude's here and she's probably looking for trouble. I'll call you back when I can." and with that, she clicked off and threw her walkie talkie down underneath her bed.

She still had alot of work to do...

**X x**

"Doofy?" Ruby quizzed as she peeked around his door frame, seemingly upset. Chili, who was reading something (though what it was, Ruby couldn't see), looked up for a moment, before placing his book down on his pillow.

"What can I do for you?" Chili replied, looking her over slowly, guiltily taking her in. The next thing he felt was a sharp slap over his head and he winced and then sat straight, clearing his throat. Nope, she wasn't going to let up, especially with him. He'd have to break that wall soon though because it was killing him!

"Nothing if you haven't seen my skateboard. Have you?" she replied, perching herself on the end of his bed, quite a ways off from him. He raised a brow before he scooched towards her slightly, seemingly apologetic.

"Nope, 'fraid not. How'd you lose it?"

She seemed to sit there, marvelling at his stupidity (though no one else would see him as that) before she answered: "How'd I lose it? Oh I sat there, in your posh little dining room and watched it for hours and then magically, it just _disappeared _and now I can't find it." she answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Chili merely rolled his eyes but was inwardly pleased with her games.

_"Keep 'em comin', Babe..." _he whispered to himself, secretly enticed by her sharp wit as he kept his eyes trained on her. Though he didn't exactly appreciate her sarcastic comments, they were there for when he needed to feel slightly more involved with the whole plot; lately, he hadn't been very included when it came to Iris' existence in the Gym. He just knew she was living in the same house as him and everything else just seemed to be sorted out by everyone else, making him feel a little distant. Luckily, Ruby was there to bring him back.

Ignoring her sarcastic tongue, he continued. "But... Don't you keep it in your room?" he quizzed, curious. How could something go missing if it had been where it belonged? He still felt slightly out of place to say "her" room, but it was all he could do. Afterall, he was stuck with her whether he liked it or not. Which he did; it was about time a decent looking girl took an interest in him! She just... Hadn't found said interest yet... But she would! Eventually...

"Nah, y'see I keep my clothes in the fridge and sometimes have the tendancy to shove my guitar in the knife and fork draw. Of course I keep it in my room!" she exclaimed, staring at him with a look of disbelief on her face. "The fangirls definitely have a thing for your _suit _ because _that _was just plain ridiculous. Use you brain!"

"Fine! God, can I get a straight answer from you?" Chili rivalled, not liking that she was getting at him. Besides, he was merely concerned about her missing item; why was she so sharp?

"Probably not! Problem?"

"Actually, yeah, there _is _a problem. Y'know, you don't _have _to give me a hard time." the red-headed brother argued, crossing his arms heftily across his chest. Ruby, agitated, stood up and turned to him, eyes narrowed in a deathly glare.

"You just keep telling yourself that." she hissed, moving towards the door and flinging it open, leaving Chili to watch helplessly as he tried to pick up the pieces. "Whatever. Sit down and read your stupid book. I'll find it on my own."

"Ruby, wait!" he called after her but she was off already, down the long narrow hallway. "Ugh," Chili mumbled, deflating and closing his eyes as he groaned into his hands. "Why is she so difficult...?"

**X x**

"Hi Casey." Iris smiled as she rounded the corner to find the blonde decorating Ruby's room; her team were working on the dining decoration. "Didn't the brothers just tell you to do downstairs?" she posed the question curiously, not really suspiciously, though she had to wonder what the blonde haired female was doing. And why _Ruby's _room?

"Oh, she... asked me to do it personally." Casey replied, placing a grin on her face as she swept at the walls with bright red paint. "I think it suits her," she forced out, turning to Iris. "Did you have a nice date with Cilan?"

"Yeah, it was great! He took me out for ice cream and then through the park. But I had to walk home alone because he had an errand to do. He said it was a secret." the wild-child explained lightly, happy enough to let Casey in with her private, personal details. The painter smiled and put the brush back into the can, collecting colour for the half-painted walls.

"That sounds nice." she replied, finishing off a corner. "Y'know, black's not her thing is it? I think red's _much _more lively."

"I think she picked a black room because it matched her mood. She's been switching lately between black and yellow. Sometimes she's really happy, while other times she's really angry. It's hard to explain."

"Oh you don't have to explain. I know exactly what you mean!" Casey smiled. She wouldn't tell Iris that Ruby _had not _asked her to paint her room. And she wouldn't tell her that Ruby _had not _told her to cut her guitar strings either. She was going to flip when she saw them and she knew who she'd come storming up to: Her. And if she could prove that she was judgemental and moody for no reason, she'd be out and her job would be made a whole lot easier. "If you don't mind me asking," she started, eyeing the other girls locket for a moment. "Where did you get that from?"

"M-My locket?" Iris breathed, clutching it tightly as it pulsed with an angry energy, making her vision go blured. It was only ever around Casey. Why? "It was a g-gift." she forced out, gritting her teeth through the intense headache.

"Oh God, are you alright?" Casey asked as she rushed to held the stumbling teenager. She nodded and then choked out:

"I have to go. See you later Casey." before running off down the hall and away. She noticed that the further she got, the less pain she experienced and her vision began to swim into clearness once more. She could now see that Cress had a worried look on his face as he placed a careful hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright? You're looking dizzy."

"No, I'm fine. Well, I am now. Just a little of a dizzy spell. I have them all the time." Iris lied. She felt bad lying, but she couldn't possibly let Cress know about the mysterious happenings of her locket because he may have actually known something about it, much like Cilan did when he mentioned The Listeners. They were actually starting to make much more sense now that she thought about it.

"As long as you're sure." Cress muttered, though he didn't sound convinced. He let her go regardless and she walked past him, keeping herself together as she slunk into her room.

"Right, what do you want?" Iris demanded in a low hiss as she grabbed onto her locket and shook it angrily.

_"I want you to listen." _the male voice grunted in return.

"Well, I'm listening now. Who are you? What do you want?" she demanded, irritated by her slightly throbbing head. Her stomach was begining to flutter with nerves as she felt a strange familiarity settle in the pit of her stomach, like she knew him from somewhere. Well, she obviously did know him, because he had said so, but she just couldn't recall where from. Where, oh where did she know him from...?

_"I am..." _the voice seemed to pause, thinking of something to say, even though what it needed to tell her was obvious. Axew, sleepy and half asleep, peeped out of her hair and muttered something in his usual incoherent syllables.

"Shh Axew, it's alright," Iris cooed, petting her tiny dragon friend on his grey snout. He grinned a lazy grin in return to his owners affections and licked her affectionately on the cheek.

_"I am," _the voice continued, making Iris' ears twitch with interest. "_...Your gr-"_

But at that a knock sounded at the door. Huffing in a low tone (as not to offend the person at the door - it was, afterall, an unintentional interruption), Iris went to go and answer it, only to find Ruby there, smirking, holding a large pot of paint.

"I suppose you thought Miss. Prissy-Pants was pretty funny, eh?" she asked, swinging the paint dangerously, the thick gloopy liquid teetering on the side like a bottle fit to burst.

"Who?" Iris enquired meekly, not in the mood for a slanging match.

"You know who." Ruby replied, eyeing her intensely.

"...Casey?"

"Yeah. So... wanna see something funnier? Fancy it?" the red-head was grinning from ear to ear, beckoning the violet-haired teenager with a finger.

"What _kind _of _funny_?" Iris pressed slowly. "Ruby, you're telling me that you're just gonna paint _her _room in return? She'd probably _like _that!" she cried in protest, not wanting to get mixed up in Ruby's trouble. Yet the idea seemed oddly charming; she'd never done a wrong in her life - excluding the cruel restrictions of her parents- and the idea of that same adrenhaline pumping through her veins, but getting out of the problem with nothing more than a slap on the wrist (and that was _if _she was caught!), just seemed to captivate her attention. Still, there was the ever-existent doubt lingering in her mind.

"Why don't you just get over the upset and leave it?" Iris questioned further, slightly confused when Ruby grinned evily, a dangerous flicker in her eye.

"I don't get upset. I get _even_."

So maybe a little bit of trouble would make her forget the problem altogether...

**X x**

"The rest of her team are on their break. You know the plan right?" Ruby nudged her, holding on tightly to the can of paint as Iris nodded slowly. She was briefly worried if Cilan would be disappointed in her, but realised he wouldn't be coming back till late that night. He wasn't back now, so he wouldn't be back in roughly five minutes, would he? That's all "the plan" would take anyway!

"I don't know how you can sit there with a straight face and call it a plan." Iris giggled, earning a chuckle for Ruby too.

"Ok, so it's not elaborate. But it's going to work a dream. Remember, you're starting off. I'll come and drop the bombshell once you've had your fun." all the while, Iris felt as if she was doing something wrong. Casey had been nice to her earlier, and she'd even asked her out to the park. It had been lovely. But that feeling she got when she was around her... it was odd, and she didn't like it. Not one bit. And, Ruby was her friend too, right? She'd already been a good friend to Casey, so it wouldn't be fair to deny Ruby her fun and be a bad friend to her... would it? She hoped not and silently prayed to the spirits for forgiveness, had she made the wrong decision. Still, it was too late to back out now.

"Ok." was all she said as she got up, Ruby following slowly, their trainers padding along the rich red carpet.

"Oh, Iris!" Casey beamed as she caught sight of her friend. Her eyes then flitted to Ruby. "And _you _too. What do you want?"

"To make friends." Ruby lied, the pain from being so dishonest bubbling deep in her gut. "I was... pretty mean to you the other day. I just wanted to make it up to you." and the lies kept coming!

"Oh... Alright then. So what do you girls want exactly?"

"We've come to help you paint." Iris joined in, taking a can from Casey's feet and smiling lightly as she sat on the small step ladder that Casey had been previously using. Ruby meerly nodded and picked up a thick brush and began to paint a section of the wall absent-mindedly, her brain formulating dialouge on the spot.

"So... Iris, what's your favourite colour?" the red-haired female asked slyly, giving Iris an equally sneaky look whilst Casey was pre-occupied.

"Well, I like... purple. Purple." she decided, combing her free hand through her hair. Strangely, the locket stayed firm, not even giving any signs of trouble. But it always did around Casey! Had Iris finally turned a bend too many? Was she honestly going _crazy_? Or maybe... as silly as it sounded, the locket was _aware _that she had something that was devious planned against the sickeningly sweet blonde. It just had to be that, otherwise the entire scenario wouldn't make sense!

"Mine's got to a dark, _dark _blue. Or black." upon a glance of Iris, Ruby nodded thoroughly. "Yes, that's as colourful as it gets for me, though red's alright too. For some occasions anyways." she shrugged lightly, silently scooching slightly closer the Casey. "What about you?"

"Pink. Or maybe yellow. I don't know really. Though I've always wanted pink in my hair. It'd look cool." Ruby then nodded firmly to Iris, handing her a brush that was coated with a hot pinky colour. Iris looked unsure for a moment. Should she do it? Then again, as her reasoning went, why _shouldn't _she do it? It was just a bit of fun. Casey would understand.

"Y'mean... pink like this?" and with that, she swiped the brush, drawing a big, squiggly line all down Casey's bright blonde hair, giving her the most ridiculous parting at the back ever! Ruby had to turn around to keep herself composed as Casey stood there gawping, gasping heavily.

"W-What were you thinking?" the blonde exclaimed.

"You said you liked pink." Iris stated, grinning. Yes, she felt bad, yes she felt mean but yes, it felt kind of good. It was so long since she had played a practical joke, no less with a mastermind behind the scenes, or so she personally thought. Ruby definitely _was _a gold-mine for pranks, no matter how simple.

"But it'll never come out!" she screeched. Ruby smirked and picked up a large can to her left, holding it tightly within her left hand, whilst she picked up the slightly used pink paint can in her other and managed to ease it up by the bottom. Iris was happy to see that there was still some pink stuck between the brush hairs and she carefully smeared it on top of Casey's head, giggling wildly.

"Why so dainty?" Ruby smirked as she tipped up the can of pink and watched in satisfaction as Casey was coated with the thick gloopy mixture. She looked a picture! Like a bright pink marshmellow that looked horribley deformed, she stood there spluttering, pink spurting from her mouth like a make-shift fountain.

"Looks great!" Iris laughed, dropping the brush and retreating from the scene, spluttering with held back laughter.

"Does, doesn't it? But then again, maybe blue's more your colour." the blue-eyed female grinned mischievously as she flung the can of paint in pink's direction, successfully coating her with a shade of light blue. The kind that newborn boys shawls are when they're first taken into their mothers arms upon being thoroughly cleaned.

"I'll kill you!" the angry pink thing screamed, her eyes, now visable through the dripping fountains of paint, narrowed into dangerously thin slits. She raised her hand to slap the laughing red-head, only for her to catch her wrist - with difficulty as her arm was slippery. Her face twitched with effort, before she eventually relaxed against Casey's small strength.

"Consider that a warning. Don't mess with me. And Don't. Touch. My stuff." Ruby glared, throwing her arm away from her and then walking away from the paint-sodden female, laughing as Iris came out from behind the kitchen door, red in the face and pink in the hair (from when Ruby had thrown the can).

"Nice!" Ruby exclaimed, high-fiving Iris, who seemed to know what to do by nature. "You were great! For a first-timer. Just wait till you get to my level. Cilan'll appreciate the laugh, trust me." she wheezed through laughter, Iris clinging hard to her stomach. Not that she was concentrating, but she could feel the distinctive tickle of the locket against her chest as it lolloped in her success against the annoying blonde...

**X x**

"Cilan?" Iris asked as she bounded to the door upon someone entering. It was now late at night and the sky was a brilliant black. Cilan turned to her, bright smile and all, his face turning suprised once she hugged him close, leaping to him like a particularly magnetic metal to a magent.

"It's nice to see you." he said, suprising her with a soft, slow kiss. The familiar taste flew through her senses and she breathed him in confidently, loving the gentle essence of his kiss. "I got you this." he added, as he fished around in his pocket and pulled out a small, yet defined purple parcel.

"Cilan...," she breathed. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"Ah, what a modest flavour! Accept it Iris. I'd love for you to have it. I _wanted _to get you something." Cilan replied earnestly, smiling the peaceful smile he always did when he was genuine, his emerald eyes closed lightly as he smiled down at her.

Carefully, she opened the lid of the tiny package, only to gasp once more.

"C-Cilan, it's beautiful..." Iris whispered as she pulled out a small, gleaming bracelet from the present. Cilan shifted nervously, afraid she was covering up disappointement. What an unpleasant feeling that he was experiencing at that exact moment; he willed it away indecicively. "I love it!" she exclaimed, hugging him to her tightly. He relished in her warm touch, before he gingerly returned her clingy cuddle. She was so different from when he first met her. She used to be angry, despondent and rude, and yet now, she was happy, stable and completely in love with him, as he was with her. It was an alarming change, though it was a change for the better, and he loved her even more for that.

"I figured you wouldn't take off your locket because of how much you treasure it. That's why I didn't buy you a necklace instead. If you want, I can return it and-"

"No!" she exclaimed. "I love it! It goes lovely with my locket. And you were right. I'd never take it off." she finished, grinning up at him as she tapped his nose playfully. Cilan's face broke out into a gleeful smile before he clung to her tightly, pressing his warm body softly against hers, cradling her close whilst Axew and Pansage smiled knowingly at each other, nodding slowly. They knew that their trainers treasured each other very much.

"We should probably be getting to bed." Cilan murmured in a suprisingly low voice which startled Iris minutely, before she smiled fondly and combed an idle hand through his ruffled green hair.

"I honestly love it Cilan." she mumbled against his chest as her eyelids began to droop.

"Looks like someone's tired." he chucked, before he carefully scooped her up, knowing she wouldn't mind as he'd done it before. He knew that she actually rather enjoyed it and so he cherished the moments when she would allow him to hold her close and the times when she would snuggle into his chest, letting sleep take over.

He carefully carried her to her room, tucked her warmly beneath the covers of her luxourious bed and then proceeded out once more, shutting the door with a click behind him...

**X x**

_Iris? Iris? Hmm, you must be asleep. I understand. It's been so long since I, myself, have needed sleep. I never sleep. I stay awake and watch over you. Always. And I always will. Though you're not awake, you can hear me, can't you? I must now reveal to you the answers that I have been forced to keep hidden for so long. I want to get things straight with you and I would appreciate your understanding; this information is quite a stomach-full, but you must cope with it. You must continue onwards whilst knowing this. You can do that... can't you? I hope you can._

_Firstly, you must hide tomorrow. People are coming. Police I do believe, though I can't be entrely sure. Also, the reaosn that I've been causing you pain - which wasn't personal by the way, if you must know - around Casey is because she is dangerous. I'm not supposed to reveal any major answers to you, but I can't stand to see my on flesh and blood so pained and unsettled. Yes, that's right, you know me that well. _

_Anyway, Casey is dangerous. She is a spy. She is working for the police, under a cover identity. To the world, she's Casey, but to the police force she's Anny. She's terrible, conceited and she's trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Don't let her, otherwise you'll be stuck in her game and that will mean bad news for you. The prank you pulled today, though I normally don't approve of such, was excellent. Ruby also, will do you good. Stick with her, Cilan, Cress and Chili; they are safe. They are right for you._

_As for who I am... well, it's hard to say. Maybe you'll understand, maybe you won't. I'm not from here. I'm from Sinnoh, a completely different region. I've travelled all of the regions in search of power, but once I had it, that was when I learned a valuable lesson. The lesson of love. I died meer months ago, though it feels as if I've been encased inside this locket for years. Why this particular locket you say? Well, your mother, though cruel, was supposed to hand it down in the line of family. It was to be yours anyway and so I've waited for the day that you claimed me. But it never came. Until you met Cilan. I want you to know that, though you consider yourself to be, you are __not__ a thief. _

_Vienna. She is your grandmother. She's gone now. She was before me even. I want you to know that I loved her. I was married to her for several years. And now that it's safe to tell you, the legendary pokemon from the lakes of Sinnoh stand by me. You may have heard of them: Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf. They protected me and kept me from making the biggest mistake of my life. And now, it is through their power that I am able to communicate with you. I know it's hard to believe, but this is the truth._

_I am your grandfather._

_I... am Drayden..._

**X x**

**Done! :D**

**Please review, 'cause I'm back to stay now! :) Oh, for Ruby's fun with Casey, that was mainly to emphasise the bond between Ruby and Iris getting stronger. Afterall, in most of my fics that aren't related to the locket specifically, I say that they are best friends, so this will kind of be **_**how **_**they became best friends. Plus, I thought that Iris pranking someone whilst being so unsure and torn would be fun to write! And of course, no one messes with Ruby's guitar! :D**

**:O Drayden is her grandfather and was married to Vienna? Who knew? Well... I did... ;O**

**And of course, lots of Wishfulshippy goodness. :3**

**~Jess~**


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